Bend Belluno Sister Cities Cultural Exchange
BEN ARRIVATA DI EVENTI SCAMBI METTE IN EVIDENZA CONTATTO
Published in Corriere delle Alpi daily newspaper 9/10/2024
An artistic twinning: Belluno and Bend united by the art of fresco
Daily magazine Il Gazzettino of 9/14/2024
Published in Belluno Rotary News 9/9/2024
Bend-Belluno Fresco Exchange
In The News - Nelle Notizie
This project represents a unique opportunity to share the art of fresco and strengthen cultural ties between Belluno and Bend, demonstrating how art can be a bridge between different realities and generations.
To celebrate the long friendship and twinning between the cities of Belluno and Bend (Oregon, USA), promoted and coordinated by the Rotary Club of Belluno and the clubs of Greater Bend and Mount Bachelor of Bend, the “Affresco” project was launched in 2022. The initiative involves the Catullo Institute, the art department of Central Oregon Community College (COCC), the Cultural Association for the Fresco of Feltre and the Municipalities of Belluno and Bend. Both schools worked during the 2023-2024 school year on the theme of the fresco and the twinning, selecting deserving students to participate in the subsequent phases. For the Catullo Institute, the project was curated by Professor Michele Tison.
From September 1st to 7th, American students Berger Bock, Kirstin Graeper and Gladys Alf Rippee, accompanied by teacher Erin Bodfish, together with Catullo students Giulia Cesa, Charlie Bortot and Angelica Fiorino, participated in a residential course on fresco at the Sanctuary of Saints Vittore and Corona in Feltre. The course, led by fresco teacher Marta Farina, took place at the headquarters of the Cultural Association for Fresco, chaired by Tiziano Sartor and with Gianvittore Vaccari as secretary.
During the course, in addition to learning the unique techniques of fresco painting, the group worked on a sketch that artistically interprets the themes of the twinning between the two cities, a project that has involved over 60 young people in Rotary exchange programs over the past twelve years. The twinning has also given rise to collaborations with other schools in the province, including the Falcade Hotel Institute in the tourism sector, the Miari Music School and some local choirs in the music field, and the Feltre Agricultural Institute in the forestry sector.
From Sunday 8th to Friday 13th September, the group moved to Belluno to create, under the guidance of Marta Farina, the fresco on a wall set up in the last station of the escalators that connect the Lambioi parking lot to Piazza Duomo. The work will be officially presented on Friday 13th September in the evening.
In October, the Belluno group, accompanied by teacher Manuela Prestileo, will travel to Bend to create a fresco in the exhibition wing of the COCC art department. The project also involves the families of the selected students, who will offer hospitality to their counterparts in both Belluno and Bend, further strengthening the ties between the two communities.
The project is also made possible thanks to the fundamental support of the sponsors, whose contribution has allowed to cover the costs of the initiative, encouraging the participation of the students and the realization of the works in the two cities. This support is a concrete demonstration of the importance of the collaboration between public bodies, schools and private entities to promote art and culture.
Riccardo Zaccone, president of the Rotary Club Belluno, expressed great satisfaction for the success of the project: "We are proud to see how this twinning has transformed into a concrete opportunity for cultural and artistic growth for the young people of our communities. Thanks to the collaboration of all the partners and the support of the sponsors, we have managed to create something unique that will remain over time as a symbol of the friendship between Belluno and Bend."