A Week in Tuscany

With the Lark Gallery’s Art Lab Residency for Professional Arts

Academia Luciania, Civitella d'Agliano, Italy

By Frederika B. Roeder

It is difficult to imagine a more glorious opportunity than to be invited to paint for nearly two weeks in the medieval countryside of Viterbo, Italy. So, when I was juried into the Academia Luciania Art Lab Residency for Professional Arts by the Lark Gallery in August of 2016, my heart soared. I looked forward with enormous anticipation to the experience - both to revel in the ancient and majestic beauty of of Alto Lazio region, and to work alongside fellow artists from around the world in an environment rich with creative history and vision.

The weeks following my notice of acceptance flew by in a flurry of activity and anticipation. Finally departure day arrived. I flew from Los Angeles to Rome, which is about 50 miles southeast of Civitella d'Agliano. Ultimately we would be joined by another dozen or so artists from the United States, Germany, Italy, Romania, and elsewhere - some taking part in the Residency program.

Upon arrival, our group of Los Angeles artists was greeted by the wonderful Sergio Bardani and Christian Hamsea from Academia Luciania. Sergio and Christian helped with all of our luggage, playing tag-team with a cool Mercedes van and a miniature vintage Italian open-air lorry, in order to get through what turned out to be a very narrow medieval arch onto the piazza of old Civitella d'Agliano.

It was evening when we arrived, and the ancient cobblestones of the piazza, ramparts and looming tower that watches over Civitella and the surrounding Tiber Valley were all romantically lit. An Italian barbeque greeted us with clarinet music floating into the night. As we were the guests of honor, it was a privilege to dine alfresco in the warm summer evening, joined by the local citizenry. With Sergio as our host, we dined, enjoyed the local wine and got to know one another.

Tired, but happy after the flight from LAX to Rome, we awoke to a walking tour of the medieval village, which is much like a citadel. We absorbed the narrow passages, old doors and gates, hand-hewn plaster, cobblestones, and overhanging tile roofs - encouraged to take no pictures during this initial walk, in order to develop a visual relationship and affinity in the heart and mind, and a more direct assimilation of the village - without any mechanical intervention. We would return later to photograph.

The residency program takes place in the medieval castle of Civitella, and our sleeping quarters were just a short walk to the studio, itself once a palace room...its shuttered windows looking down on the original ramparts and piazza.

After becoming comfortable with our studio, we celebrated again that evening…this time in a local restaurant. Long picnic tables were arranged alfresco with the tunes of crickets, and a treetop view of the surrounding valley and Calanchi to entertain us. (The Calanchi are clay hills, and are similar to the Badlands in Wyoming. They are very popular with bikers, hikers and naturalists).

Needless to say, the many courses we had were all about seasonal, homemade ingredients, local wines and cheeses. Our chefs outdid themselves on our behalf and received kudos and cries of “delicioso” from everyone.

The following morning studio work commenced in earnest. The goal: create two piece of work while there, with one left behind to become part of the Public Collection of Civitella D'Agliano. The pressure mounts!

Inspired by the hand-hewn medieval walls, roofs, doors,windows, beautiful tile floors, ramparts, and tower, I found myself challenged by what to paint in the limited amount of time I had, so I just needed to trust my intuition and paint what spoke to me the most: the magnificent tower and the wonderful, many-hued residential structures.

I set to work with a daily ritual. Morning: an invigoratingly short walk to the local "Bar" where the best cappuccino in the world is served along with had made pastries like Nuovo. Thus fortified, and enjoying the sound of Italian morning talk, watching the Vespas, the cats and dogs, I would return to the studio to paint through the afternoon. Later, a group of us might head out to local markets for some homemade salamis, cheeses, lots of pasta, sauces, and vegetables and try some of our own Italian dishes in the kitchen. The ritual of morning cappuccino, trips to the local markets, and attempts our own Italian cuisine, allowed us to mingle and feel literally at home in this beautiful place.

Daily work in the studio was balanced with side-trips into the local environs, designed to rejuvenate our creativity and provide a respite from daily life. During one luxurious trip to Tarquinia (Tuscany), as far as the Mediterranean Sea, we visited the famous archeological sites of the Etruscan tombs dating VII to VI BC. We lunched at what is considered to be one of the best seafood restaurants along the Mediterranean.

That afternoon, we stopped at Niki de St. Phalles’ sculpture garden (the Tarot Garden), an absolutely delightful must-see.

I had actually seen her sculpture in the New York studio, so this was a fabulous treat as an artist.

On another day, we visited La Serpara, another sculpture garden near Civitella d’Agliano with welds, outdoor installations, along a stream, meadow, and walnut grove.

As the second week came to a close, we looked forward to dinner on the now open-air palace floor with the ramparts acting as walls and the tower looming above - and a spectacular 360 degree view of the surrounding valley with the Tiber in the distance. We celebrated our Residency with a Gallery exhibit in the upper studio where we were all able to share our completed work and present the one we would contribute to the Public Works, as we were given a Certificate for the Residency.

Enjoying the night before departure, with new friends from around the globe, we enjoyed our last evening in Umbria, driving through a dramatic summer thunderstorm. It was bittersweet to say goodbye.

Circles of friendship expanded, as well as a circle of artists; we cherished the shared studio experience in Residency in Civitella d’Agliano. A heartfelt “Thank You!” to Sergio Bardani and Christian Hamsea for making this dream come true and sharing so much of Italy with all of us.

Yours, Frederika Roeder.

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