Julio & Bigode Are Off to Conquer Italy!

In a few hours, our great young artists will be taking off for Rome and it’s easy to imagine their excitement. For the ICBIE and for Pietro and Marlene, too, this is a moment to be remembered, when our first students go off alone to Europe, living testimonials of our mission. Julio and Bigode have been with us from the very beginning; they learned to speak Italian from Marlene and studied both with Pietro and with the ICBIE’s many visiting artists. For the ICBIE inauguration, they painted the four big panels representing the muses that decorate the side wall of the Institute. After that, they took their first trip, visiting Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, were they met some of the most famous Brazilian street artists. Operating from the garage-like space behind the Institute, they have organized a crew of young kids who help them with their work, creating a Bahian kind of artists’ guild that has enlivened many quarters of Salvador with their joyous murals, especially since the city officially hired them, providing a monthly salary and assignments all around the city, decorating parks, schools and hospitals.

But this adventure, sponsored by the City of Salvador, will take them to another level! For more than a month, they will zigzag around Italy, following an itinerary that Pietro has prepared in every detail, exploiting the rich network of ICBIE supporters. And their presence provides a wonderful opportunity, both to show off the products of our labors to people who have so generously supported us over the last four years, and to attract new people into our circle.

Here is a summary of their itinerary:

• From Sept 23 to Sept 25 they will be in Rome, where Marcella and the Socrates crowd will be showing them around the city, introducing them to Italian life.
• From Sept 25 to Oct 1 they will be in the northeast, staying with Maddalena in Verbania and participating in the Bahia Festa at Bassano del Grappa, then a day in Venice, soaking up the art.
• From Oct 2 to Oct 12 they will be in Rome again, for a splash of ICBIE events. On Oct 3 at 9 PM, there will be the biggest ICBIE event ever, with a great cast of musicians offering entertainment. The city of Rome is backing the event, as the Salvador city councilman Edvando Luiz Pinto will be present. He will also accompany them on their visit to the American Overseas School of Rome on Oct 5, where they will spend the day with art students from all over the world, sharing experiences and practicing their craft. Then they will spend a few days in Campagnano with Roy, taking day trips into Rome to see the museums.
• From Oct 12 to Oct 25 they will be in the north again, for the Bahia Festa in Reggio Emilia (3 days), then stops in Modena, Bologna and Ferrara for 5 days, another four days in Venice, then a couple days in Milan.
• With a quick stop in Florence, they will be in Roma from Oct 26 until their departure on Nov 3.

Amazingly, the entire itinerary is arranged without staying in hotels, because nearly two dozen ICBIE friends are offering hospitality to Julio and Bigode.

Stay tuned for more news, as their adventure unfolds.