Many of you reading this have been to La Romita, have met Edmund, Valerio, Ivo, Raniero, Silvana, Egizia and Franca, Tracy, and all the others who make up our staff. We cannot overstate our appreciation for their dedication and commitment to making every student's experience at La Romita special, but you may not be aware of a larger circle of people who donate their time, energy, and expertise behind the scenes. These people serve on our Board and work through committees and other functions to provide direction to the school, coordinate marketing efforts, handle outreach, and generally work to ensure that La Romita continues.

La Romita Letters – December 2019

from Alessandro Quargnali-Linsley

Hello to all,

My name is Alessandro Quargnali-Linsley, and I currently have the honor of serving as Vice President of La Romita’s Board of Directors.

One of my earliest memories is of waking up from a nap in a crib that my mother, Paola Quargnali, had set up in Room 4 on the ground floor of La Romita. I remember summers as a little boy chasing dragons around the property and as a teen, helping out the staff and “imbedding” with groups to learn how to paint and sketch. My mother saw La Romita as a way of teaching, of promoting the understanding of true Italian culture. Enza Quargnali, my aunt, was an artist and her passion obviously set the overarching tone of the school. They both worked tirelessly to bring it all together, finding teachers, handling registrations, getting students there, and creating the experience that La Romita is now known for.

As an adult I have brought what I can to La Romita’s table to help the organization while staying true to La Romita’s mission and the vision of our Founders. I’ve chaired various committees, handled accounting duties, contributed to marketing efforts, represented La Romita at conventions; I find that what started as “the place I spent my summers” has become my polestar, where I devote the energies left over from career and family.

While it may be inevitable that La Romita would be deeply special to me, it’s immensley gratifying to know that I’m not alone. Almost every student I’ve ever spoken to has told me how deeply the experience affected them. Testimonials use superlatives like “bliss” & “magic”. It is not uncommon to hear the experience called “life changing”. I think these words spring to mind because La Romita calls to the creative spirit and in turn offers a space for it to flourish.

It’s probably natural that a connection to Art and to Italy would become some of my most powerful influences given the force of La Romita’s presence in my life. I believe the creative process to be a manifestation of the most profound human experience. I love Italy – the country, the people and the culture – and want everyone to as well.

To that end, much of my attention these days has been devoted to two specific goals for La Romita, and I would like to ask for your help to achieve each.

My first goal is to improve the cohesion of our community. We’ve been putting new energy into our social media as a way to let you know what’s going on with us and to help keep our connection to you alive.

I hope you’ll reach back – let us know what you’re up to! Share what you’re doing! If you’re doing something that reminds you of La Romita – painting in the field, applying a technique, or even just enjoying a great glass of wine with friends, tag us! 

When you see us post something you love, share it with your friends; social media is a form of word of mouth, which has always been our best PR. It’s a small and simple ask, and would be incredibly helpful to us.

My other goal is to expand our scholarship program. Scholarships allow artists who could benefit from a workshop at La Romita but cannot swing the expense. We can’t, however, do more without financial support. You are the people who best understand the value of the experience at La Romita, so we hope you will help us to help others to come. We have a few ways you can directly support us, but the most direct is a donation which you can make with the button at right.