On October 25th, 2020, in the midst of the Covid-19 lockdowns, together with the European Council of Art and Estate Fiorentina 2020, we managed with no small difficulty to execute our inaugural event: “Arte in Loco: The Glass House.”

This event was very important to us, as it was to be the first of many that we hoped to create under the name of "Studio Peregrino,” a forum where artists from all over the world would be encouraged to come together for educational workshops, exhibitions, and community art-making events.

During the event, which was free to the public, we opened the doors of the Tepidarium del Roster, the magical 19th century greenhouse at the Giardino dell’Orticoltura in Florence. Inside we hosted celebrated guest artists such as Ramiro Sanchez, Melissa Franklin Sanchez, Octavio Palomino and Daniela Astone, who performed demonstrations of painting and sculpture from life models for the benefit of a live audience.

The day started at 11.00 and continued until 17:00, and with Covid-19 restrictions in full effect, all of the artists, models and audience members were required to wear facemasks. In spite of this inconvenience we were able to achieve what we set out to do - showcase the artistic approach of some of Florence’s finest artists and particularily reveal to an enthusiastic audience some of the methods taught in the world famous art academies of Florence.

Looking back, we are proud of the outcome and of all the people who contributed to bringing this project about. We are especially grateful to the Concilio Europeo dell'Arte which, through its material and moral support, demonstrated its belief in us as organizers, to the Florence Academy of Art, which kindly provided us with materials, and to the artists who, despite the organizational difficulties, were extremely generous in sharing their inspiring approaches to art-making.

We appreciate everyone who helped make our first event, “Arte in Loco: The Glass House,” a great success. We believe that art and community are essential parts of our lives and the fact that so many people came out to demonstrate their art and to show appreciation for some of the wonderful artists that Florence has to offer was a great encouragement to us. We hope that this inaugural event of Studio Peregrino and our Arte in Loco series will be the first of many successful events to come.

Marta Motti and Jonathan Davis,

Studio Peregrino