News

Pottery Northwest is hosting an Open House and Kiln Yard Social Sunday, May 19 from 2:00-5:00 p.m. There will be clay demonstrations, studio tours, artist talks and refreshments. For further information or to RSVP, click here.

Seattle Perugia Sister City Association partners with Pottery Northwest, Accademia Belle Arti Perugia (Academy of Fine Arts of Perugia) and the Fondazione Moretti (Deruta, Italy) for the De Poi artist exchange. In alternate years, ceramic artists from Seattle and Perugia serve a three-week residency, learning about local pottery techniques and experiencing the diverse artistic communities of each city. In June, there will be a student from Perugia visiting Seattle.

More than two dozen people gathered around Piazza Perugia at Julia Lee's Park in Seattle's Madison Valley to hear the words of esteemed architect Paolo Lattaoli. Over pastries and coffee from nearby Essential Baking Company, the attendees listened eagerly as Lattaoli spoke. Translated by Honorary Consul of Italy in Seattle and  Perugia native Elisabetta Valentini, Paolo Lattaoli’s melodic speech was pithy but profound: he shared with us his belief that piazzas give us something far more than simply aesthetic enjoyment, but also a sense of camaraderie and community.

He was also sure to mention how much he enjoyed exploring Seattle and the kindness he was shown in the two weeks he spent here. He informed the crowd that this was his first trip to Perugia's sister city, but we have a feeling that it will not be his last—let’s hope the weather is just as beautiful next time as it was for this occasion! Sadly, he departed March 17 to return to Italy, but his visit here is something that SPSCA and its supporters will not soon forget.

Board member Mike James concluded with some parting words, including a call for ideas on how we might utilize this space more often to gather together. Hopefully, as we come up suggestions, this will not only give us even more opportunities to enjoy ourselves but we will also be honoring the words of Paolo Lattaoli in the process.

Thanks to Danielle Hayden for this post.

Editor's note: To read more about the origin of Lattaoli's trip, click here for "A Story of Adventures and Partnerships" from the Civita Institute newsletter.

Lynne Hobaica, our de Poi exchange artist, is finishing up her last few days in Perugia. She had a full house for her June 11 presentation at the Academy of Fine Arts. Last year's recipient of the de Poit award, Qing Qu, who spent three weeks in residency in Seattle with Pottery Northwest, was one of the attendees, along with our sister city president Leslie Keller.

Hobiaca (below, right) created this beautiful pitcher with the image of the griffin, the symbol of Perugia. (It's also the name of our sister city e-newsletter.) She presented this lovely ceramic piece to City of Perugia officials to thank them for welcoming her so warmly.

Well done, Lynne!

Sad news for the Italian community and for those who appreciate historic preservation. The Garden House on Beacon Hill, where the Dante Alighieri Society has held its meetings for many years, may be looking for a new home.

The Washington State Federation of Garden Clubs voted this week to put the house up for sale. Built 145 years ago, it is the oldest building on Beacon Hill. The future of the historic property, valued at more than $2 million, is up in the air. Read more here.