Bend Belluno Sister Cities Cultural Exchange
From the right Davide Piol member B4 commission and incoming president of the Rotary Club of Belluno, Gianvittore Vaccari secretary of the International School of Affresco and member of Rotary Club Feltre, Tiziano Sartor, president of the International School of Affresco and member of Rotary Club of Feltre, Patrizia Pedone past president of Belluno Rotary, Stefano Perer of Portland/Feltre, and Angelo Paganin (Rotary Club Belluno)
A highlight of the project is that fresco maestro Vico Calabrò is at the International School of Affresco of San Vittore e Corona. Vico Calabrò is one of the world's leading authorities on frescos.
The proposed plan is being developed as a cooperative project between the art department at Central Oregon Community College, headed by Venus Nguyen, college and community liaison Zak Boone, the International School of Affresco of San Vittore e Corona, headed by Tiziano Sartor (president of the Cultural Association for the Frescos), and Gianvittore Vaccari (association secretary and member Rotary Club Feltre).
We are currently considering sending a delegation to Belluno in the late summer of 2023. The group consists of a COCC art department art instructor and two art students. A group of students will be proposed by the art department, with the selection made by a committee of Rotary and community members. Additional “students” could include community members interested in Italian culture and art.
The first step of the fresco plan is that the Bend Fresco group will travel together through Venice and spend 3-4 weeks in Belluno for an introductory course, skill development, and work on actual fresco projects under the direction of instructors at the Fresco Institute. Transportation, housing, and other details will be worked out.
The second part of the cross-cultural exchange would focus on instructors from the Fresco Institute coming to Bend. Two instructors and two students from the Fresco Institute would travel to Bend. These experts would help finalize locations of the Bend fresco project, help acquire proper materials, and lead the actual fresco project with students from Bend. They would be available to the community for informative sessions and serving as visiting instructors at COCC.
Our Bella Bend Beautiful Belluno sister city communities are planning a Fresco Cross-Cultural Art Exchange Project.
The Fresco design will be a cooperative endeavor to define the themes highlighted in the frescoes: friendship, collaboration, various activities of our exchanges, and similar environments.
This cultural exchange project is the vision of Stefano Perer. Stefano grew up in Feltre, known as “the city with the castle” near Belluno. He currently lives outside of Portland with his wife, Kate. Stefano became acquainted with the Bend-Belluno sister city project through his work as an ophthalmic frame representative of Safilo, a large Italian frame designer and manufacturer/distributor. His professional responsibilities include visiting Bend and, eventually, he has become involved in the Bend-Belluno sister city connection.
From the right James Knox, COCC Music professor, 3 month resident of Belluno on a family exchange, Rebecca Franklin COCC Forest professor, recently returned from Belluno making plans for sabbatical, Ruth COCC Art Department Chris Wick Bend-Belluno sister city and Italian Art Advocate, Venus Nguyen, Head of COCC Art Department, Kit Carmiencke, Great Bend Rotary and Bella Bend Beautiful Belluno (B4) sister city exchange.
In celebrating ten years of our sister city relationship between Bend and Belluno, we have been making plans for a unique cultural exchange focusing on frescos, a true Italian art form with a long and rich history. Honoring our 10th anniversary, this cross-cultural exchange will share in the planning, artistic creation, and application of a fresco in each community, commemorating our association and international accomplishments.
Groups from each community have been meeting during the summer and fall of 2022 with a timeline to complete each city's fresco in the late summer and early fall of 2023. This project's unique and critical asset is that one of the few remaining active fresco studios is at the International School of Affresco of San Vittore e Corona outside of Feltra near Belluno.
BEN ARRIVATA DI EVENTI SCAMBI METTE IN EVIDENZA CONTATTO