La Romita’s official name in Italy is “Convento delle Arti”, convent of the arts – a reference to the structure’s original purpose as home, sanctuary, and workplace for monks of the Cappuchin order. The placement of the stones, dug from the rocky earth of central Italy, and arranged in the beautiful patterns of buildings and walls constantly reminds us of the history of this place, and of the people involved in preserving it.  From the ancient paintings that adorn the walls, sourced from pigments pressed from indigenous flowers and plants… to the intentions of the humble friars, offering solace to the bodies and souls of their neighbors, we can experience generations of labor upon labor…all to add some sort of which all contribute metaphysical depth to the human experience.

St. Francis saw all of nature as supreme creation, its inherent beauty as a salve to the difficult lives of medieval humanity. Centuries later, John Ruskin wrote that any particular of nature could be felt as the product of the divine, and that the task of the artist’s imagination was in seeing and eliciting this process. La Romita’s founders Enza and Paola Quargnali were well aware, and spoke frequently, of a sort of mystical relationship between the original mendicant order of monks and the lives of modern artists. 

As my experience with La Romita approaches a quarter century, I am constantly reminded of the special relationships that flourish here…relationships with history, with culture, with the myriad forms of art that we present, but most of all, of the relationships that develop among the people who participate in our workshops.

Recently, in taking advantage of some of the new technologies available, we have gained some insight into the surprising depths of these relationships. These relationships have always been evident. A few years ago Enza and Ben celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a very special pilgrimage to Machu Picchu in Peru. When Ben was recounting the particulars of their entourage, which included their son’s family and others, a couple of the names sounded familiar to me. It was somehow not surprising that the names included some people who they had met as participants at La Romita. The friendships that are made here are often friendships for life!

The technological advances have merely made this effect more visible. This year we have been encouraging, and sometimes organizing group chats on the free Whatsapp platform. The addition of this technology has been very helpful in acting as a forum where we can discuss travel plans and ask questions before the start of the sessions. We then stay in touch during the session, sharing photos, prompts …and sometimes helping people to meet up during the sojourns in the hilltowns.

What has been more surprising is that each of the groups who have used the platform have remained in touch with one another long after the workshops ended. Being part of the groups myself has been an illuminating experience, seeing the things that have caught the photographic eyes of our people and reading their comments. The groups are still going, sending messages almost daily. I received messages from three groups just this morning…and two others yesterday – these friendships are thriving!

 

 La Romita has been around for almost 60 years, so the passing of some friendships are inevitable, but no less painful. 2024 saw the passing of four of La Romita’s favorite teachers: Lisa Guthrie, Carol Cooper, Benno Philippson, and Richard Osler.

Lisa lived very close to my house in California and our friendship began before I’d even seen La Romita. She had been tasked with giving me some kind of orientation, and over coffee at a nearby café, she shared her photos and sketchbooks and memories from her times at La Romita. She was a dedicated artist and certainly helped to allay any fears I might have had while embarking on a new career. Carol Cooper, author, artist, and longtime college professor, brought some of our most memorable groups to La Romita. Her sister, Linda Williams Dailey, and brother-in-law Matt Dailey, acted as social directors, keeping her students animated and inspired. Late evenings in the gazebo are treasured memories. Benno Philippson brought groups to La Romita every other year for decades. He was a true renaissance man; a sort of arts hero in Portland Oregon, where he served as architect for the parks of Portland, visiting architect for Portland public schools, and singer in many local choirs. He and his wife, textile artist Gail Durham always created an atmosphere of discovery at La Romita.

Richard Osler was a poet, teacher, and an engaging lecturer. His trust in poetry and art as methods for healing were instantly evident to anyone who spent time with him. Along with his wife, Somae, he led his workshops at La Romita as creative and inspirational group therapy sessions. His laughter was infectious and celebrated by participants and staff alike. Upon learning of his diagnosis, he felt drawn to return La Romita. Hi visit this summer, along with Somae was as beautiful as it was heartbreaking.

Our entire community has been blessed by the presence of these legends.

 

 As usual, our offerings for 2024 consisted of a combination of teachers who have been coming to La Romita for years, and first-time teachers. Nancy Tankersley and Nancie King Mertz, perennial favorites, began our season with full, enthusiastic groups. Along with newcomer Rita Carpenter, they set the tone for an exciting year of rigorous art-making. They were followed by the La Romita Poet Laureate Kim Addonizio, aided by the extraordinary Flower Conroy. Returnee Frances Valesco rounded out the first half of our season as the defacto leader of an impromptu group residency centered on some beautiful and experimental print-making.

After the mid-summer pause, returning artist Melissa Grace Young brought poet and friend Emily Ransdell to La Romita for a session on Ekphrasis, brilliant collaborations of painting and poetry. They were followed by newcomer Carol Ivey, another member of our ever-increasing group of artists from Texas. Our next group was led by Texas arts royalty from Austin’s Flatbed Press with Katherine Brimberry and Suzi Davidoff. Our final workshop of the year took us in a new direction…actually in many new directions. Shelley Socolofsky, head of the American Tapestry Alliance, brought an amazing group of textile artists. We built looms, searched the grounds for pigments, cooked them up, and filled La Romita with incredible three-dimensional art.

This morning’s messages were from the groups of Melissa Young, Carol Ivey, and Kim Addonizio, commenting on one another’s works, and relating stories of creations and compositions, months after they left La Romita.

But art is always a journey of discovery, and the creative process is frequently a story of collaborations and interactions. There are many terms we could use to describe what happens at La Romita, group after group, year after year – but the most resounding aspect of this experience, the part we carry with us when we leave, is true and lasting friendship!

 

Pax et Bonum,

Edmund

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