The Civitella Ranieri Foundation is pleased to announce “Umbrian Ceramics: From Etruria through Novecento and Today.” A part of Civitella Ranieri’s Sojourns in Umbria program, the ten-day tour, led by ceramicist Robert Raphael, will be an engaging pilgrimage through time, tradition, innovation, and materiality. Raphael, a 2018 NEA Ceramics Fellow at the artist residency program hosted at Civitella’s 15th-century Castle, will lead participants on excursions to important sites in Umbria, Tuscany, and Emilia Romagna. The group will travel to museums, archeological sites, and contemporary workshops, in addition to enjoying homemade meals, fascinating lectures, and the beautiful regional landscape at the Castle in Umbertide.
We invite you to join the group at Civitella Ranieri in Umbertide, Italy from April 2nd – 11th, 2024 for this unique dive into the world of Italian ceramics. Prices and full details are available on Civitella’s website: https://civitella.org/umbrian-ceramics/
Drawing from his own artistic practice and research, Raphael has crafted a fascinating and comprehensive journey through the world of ceramics in and around Umbria. Participants will travel to art spaces, modern-day studios, and even ancient Etruscan sites. In Orvieto, they will witness the Etruscan ceramic tradition of Bucchero. Civitella Ranieri’s own town of Umbertide is home to Rometti, a ceramic factory started in 1927 known for their Ventennio-era production, creating new Umbrian ceramics. In nearby Deruta and Gubbio, participants will observe the incredible local techniques of maiolica. Also on the itinerary are visits to contemporary factories and active workshops, from the innovative glazes of local tile producer, Cotto Etrusco, to the lusterware of Rubboli, to an active clay pit in Sansepolcro.
This tour will provide an inside look at the diverse traditions of Italian ceramics of the region, through both history and direct engagement with local artisans. No prior experience with ceramics is necessary.
Lodged in a beautiful 15th-century Castle in Umbria, Italy, Civitella Ranieri is an international residency program which has brought together over 1,000 visual artists, writers, and composers in the last thirty years. A Civitella residency gives artists space and time to work independently and communally without judgment or interruption. A stay at Civitella fosters curiosity and connections.
Rob Raphael (b. 1978, Hackensack, NJ) is an artist living and working in Brooklyn, NY. He received his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI (2004) and BFA, Rhode Island School Of Design, Providence, RI (2000). Raphael has held solo and two-person exhibitions at SITUATIONS, NY; The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Bronx, NY; LMAK, New York, NY; Calico, Brooklyn, NY; Greenwich House, New York, NY (with Jessica Stoller); and Harrison Gallery, Philadelphia, PA. Notable residencies include Dieu Donne Workspace Residency, Brooklyn NY; Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, TX; Civitella Ranieri Ceramics Fellowship, Civitella Ranieri, Umbertide, Italy; Zentrum For Keramik, Berlin, Germany; The Shigaraki Ceramic Sculpture Park, Koka City Shiga Pref., Japan and Watershed Center for the Ceramic Art, Newcastle, ME.
For more information and to reserve your space, click here.
Should you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to write to juliette@civitella.org. We hope to see you in Umbria!