News and Past Events

A heartfelt grazie mille to CEO Joe Fugere and the amazing team at Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria for welcoming SPSCA members to their Culinary Innovation Hub in SODO! We had an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how this local gem crafts more than 40,000 pizzas a week, along with many classic Italian favorites—pasta, salads, and tiramisu—using only the highest quality ingredients, all while honoring the Neapolitan tradition of being fatto a mano (made by hand). We saw the three Italian pizza ovens named after Fugere's mother, grandmother and great-grandmother that produce all those pizzas.

It was fascinating to hear the stories of how Tutta Bella pivoted during the pandemic to provide restaurant-quality food initially to local supermarkets, and how the business has grown since. It’s truly inspiring to witness such cutting-edge innovation rooted in authentic Italian craftsmanship, right here in our Seattle community. Tutta Bella lives up to its name -- “Everything is beautiful” -- by sharing their delicious creations across more than 30 states nationwide!

In April 2025, the SPSCA Scholarship Committee awarded four scholarships for a month of Italian language study at the Università per Stranieri di Perugia. Our Scholarship Program is a major way for our members to connect and collaborate with our counterparts in Perugia.

2025 Scholars from left to right: Gina Cantara, Karin McCullough, Conner Suddick, and Adrienne Voerman.

Gina Cantara, who first encountered SPSCA through volunteering at SIFF, grew up in a theatre family with her father often singing Italian arias. Her Italian godparents fostered her love of Italian traditions, culture and values, and she and her husband aspire to move to Italy within the decade. She has been studying Italian since 2019 and is excited for the immersive experience of a month in Perugia.

Karin McCullough is a pianist and piano teacher who began studying Italian many years ago so she could understand all the lyrics of her favorite Italian operas. She’s familiar to SPSCA members as the originator of our popular Italian sing-alongs, in which she plays Italian songs and makes handouts of the lyrics for participants to accompany her. She also hosts our Italian book club. She looks forward to singing with the Voci dal Mondo choir in Perugia and organizing future music-themed SPSCA events here in Seattle.

Conner Suddick is a university-level educator specializing in conflict studies, qualitative research, and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Langauges (TESOL). Conner started studying Italian two years ago to be able to communicate with his spouse's family in Italy and has since fallen in love with the language. After becoming a member of SPSCA, he has faithfully attended our Tavola Italiana Virtuale. Conner volunteers on the Communications and Events Committees, where he works on graphic design projects and will co-coordinate SPSCA's presence at "La Fiera dei Morti" in Perugia.

Adrienne Voerman’s initial exposure to Italy was through a 3-month UW college internship-exchange working for a small bank in the Le Marche region. That program aimed to increase cultural understanding between citizens of Italy and the US, so she assumed the role of “ambassador” at a young age. She recently began studying Italian online at Dante Alighieri and says, “I believe your Sister City Program is a small but very important way to create diplomacy and show that Americans still have heart and want connection with other cultures.”

Many thanks to the tireless volunteers on our Scholarship Committee and to everyone who applied! If you’d like to be considered for a future scholarship, please get involved. Come to the wine tasting, attend our annual picnic, practice your Italian at Tavola, propose an outing or event. Help us get to know you before we read your application!

On Saturday, January 18th (National Soup Swap Day!) from 1-3pm, SPSCA participated in the first ever Seattle Sister Cities Soup Sampling. We served Zuppa di lenticchie, a hearty vegetarian lentil soup often found on Umbrian tables in wintertime, made by member volunteers. The soup sampling was a pilot project aimed at introducing the Seattle public to our sister city organizations and the culinary cultures of our sister cities. This free community event drew some 300 attendees, 50% more than projected! Other sister cities participating represented Cambodia, Cameroon, Indonesia, Israel, Hungary, Kenya, and New Zealand. Many thanks to our dedicated volunteers who helped us celebrate Italian culture through sharing the foundational meal of soup.

A mix of SPSCA members and Horizon House residents gathered on December 15 to learn about Perugian holiday traditions and sing Christmas carols in Italian at the holiday version of our popular Incontro Musicale sing-along events. SPSCA Board Member and native perugina Elisabetta Valentini regaled us with remarks in Italian and English on her memories of Christmas in Perugia, then SPSCA member pianist Karin McCullough played traditional Italian holiday music for the audience to sing along to. One highlight was a moving solo performance of "Ave Maria" by a professional tenor. "You brought Christmas to us!" one delighted resident commented. Another participant said it had been her favorite holiday event each month. We hope you will join us at an Italian sing-along in 2025!

What a marvelous time SPSCA members had celebrating Natale together with fellow Seattle Italian associations Dante Alighieri Society and Il Punto! The celebration was held at Greenwood Senior Center and included Italian wine, an extraordinary selection of tasty dishes brought by participants, live music, and two rousing rounds of tombola (Italian bingo) with tantalizing prizes.

This event, the first of its kind in this location and as a collaboration with Dante and Il Punto, was completely sold out, indicating that there is an eager appetite for socializing among our membership. It will hopefully be the first of many!