The opening of my January 2026 exhibition, in Rome, went well—despite record cold. There was a good, informed turnout, people engaged with the work and work sold.
The gallery space—once part of an old public market near the Piazza di Popolo—is part of a courtyard property deeded to an association of artists in the 1980s. The artist cooperative pays the city a nominal rent and in exchange continues to use the spaces only for art. There are studios and the gallery itself, which every month shows new work. I am honored and pleased to exhibit my work in a space that the City of Rome supports for the arts. Sadly, this model of dedicated urban art spaces is exceedingly rare.
For me the greatest pleasure was seeing the work in a space new to me, and therefore in a new context—literally and figuratively in a fresh light. As the title suggests, on exhibit were works on paper (collage) as well as work in plaster on wood. I created both bodies of work in Puglia in the last few years, but in different studios, and had not seen them together until the show was hung.
Exhibitions are worth all the effort for the opportunity to share the work with others and for the chance for me to see it anew. Having had the vernissage and having spent a couple days in Rome catching up with old friends, we returned to Puglia. On the way back, I found myself reflecting on what I’d heard and seen on the gallery walls. Finding new roads forward after an exhibition is invigorating. Artists are always looking ahead: ‘current’ work is by necessity behind the times because it was envisioned adhering to ideas formulated a while ago. Now I can dedicate myself to pursuing new directions. And I will.
The exhibit is open to the public and runs through January 31, 2026 at AOC F58 – Galleria Bruno Lisi in Rome. See the announcement below.
