Maryland Printmakers

IL BISONTE, SCUOLA INTERNAZIONALE DI SPECIALIZZAZIONE
PER LA GRAFICA D'ARTE: A PRINTSHOP IN FLORENCE, ITALY

By Sally Hopkins
(Archived article from January 2001 - click here for current articles)

Students from Baltimore School for the Arts entering the courtyard via the workshop gallery of  Il Bisonte, Florence, Italy

During the course of a two week stay in Florence, Italy, June 15-29, 2000, as the printmaking instructor for the Baltimore School for the Arts, I accompanied 10 of our tenth and eleventh grade high school students to Florence, along with the school's painting instructor, Diane Sipple. The main purpose of our school trip was to be in the birthplace of the Renaissance, to soak up all of Florence's world class museums, art galleries and architecture, and combine it with watercolor painting classes in the Tuscan countryside. We also managed to fit in four day trips: Fiesole, with its Etruscan hilltops skirting the city of Florence; Venice; Siena; and San Gimignano, the city of towers.

We were accommodated, the whole two weeks, in the northern part of Florence (25 minutes walk from the main attractions), in a former convent, Oasi Sacro Cuore, which is a charming and efficient hostel type of place, catering to people of all ages, travelling in groups, or alone. Each morning we ventured out on foot as a group, on a programmed itinerary of places to see and/or paint. After free time, we met up at 8 p.m. for dinner back at the hotel, and were well looked after by their most delightful staff.

As a refreshing and stimulating change of pace, I thought a visit to a contemporary and functioning printshop would be valid on the itinerary, especially as printing and books also fitted in well with the Renaissance era of the fifteenth century, and the excitement that printing brought to the artisans of that time in their exchange of travel and ideas. I had been lucky enough to be informed of “Il Bisonte” courtesy of the Florence-born husband of a past graduate of our school. After learning more about them on their website [http://www.ilbisonte.it], I made contact with Ms. Costanza Piccinini, and set up an appointment date and time for our group. We had a most thorough and informative tour and look around, for almost two hours, of both the gallery and the working studio establishment, which was neatly tucked away in a side street behind the print exhibition gallery. We caught the last day of a very accomplished student graduate show, and also viewed catalogs from past print shows.

The forty year old printmaking studio was both practical and enchanting. We entered from the outside street by stooping through a half-door, into a large, airy, arched-ceilinged building that contained a lot of framed prints, with magnificent old presses and equipment along the side. This led into an open-roofed, cobblestone courtyard, with different sections branching off for etching, lithography, photography and some silkscreen. Lithostone grinding was done outdoors in the courtyard under a canopy! The school is accumulating a library of graphic/print related books, catalogs and slides of artists' work that specialize in intaglio. They also offer courses in conservation, book binding, wood engraving and history, but the emphasis is on the heritage of etching methods. We were allowed plenty of time to roam around and ask questions.

As another American couple was also visiting the workshop, pending their son's upcoming next semester there, we were treated to a viewing of Il Bisonte's large portfolio of prints from past residents and students, who always leave one of their edition for the archives. As we looked at the portfolio, each technique was explained (mainly for the parents), but it made an excellent review for our students who have already had some experience with the methods, and hopefully will inspire future potential ideas. It was also a reminder that they might arrange a future exchange semester there from an American college.

As a parting gift, I presented Ms. Puccinini with ribbons from the 20th anniversary celebration of The Baltimore School for the Arts, tied onto an apron especially printed for 10th anniversary celebration of The Maryland Printmakers, and also two issues of our InPrint newsletter. She was very gracious, and pleased to know the interest in printmaking is worldwide, and ongoing.

Il Bisonte: International
School of Graphic Arts
Via San Niccolo' 24/r
50125 Firenze, Italy
Tel: 011/39/055/234.2585
Fax: 011/39/055/234.6768
email: info@ilbisonte.it

Oasi Sacro Cuore (hotel)
Via della Piazzola, 4
50133 Firenze, Italy
Tel: 011/39/055/577.588 or 574.662
Fax: 011/39/055/574.887
email: oasifirenze@tin.it