Submitted by Kathy Winkelman of Gioia Company
Since the mid 1400’s pottery has been made in Deruta and throughout Italy where the art has flourished, painted by hand using patterns that have been designed by family members hundreds of years ago as well as new designs and using a special tin glaze to bring out the finest colors. The only closure was during the two World Wars and now due to Covid 19 pandemic.
Gioia Company wants to help to preserve the arts through a program called Gioia Luce, Shine the Light on Italian Artists. In every part of Italy where Italian Artist friends live and work, they share the same sentiment: It is very dark in Italy for arts. No tourism, no business, no creating.
Can you imagine four generations of Lace Makers and Fabrics business in Burano Island of Venice having to close for all these months? Venetian glass blowing thrived during the Renaissance times and still the same tools are used today to make beautiful jewelry known as Millefiori meaning a thousand flowers. The glass is blown through a long ancient tube shaped like a flower and cut into small pieces and assembled like a puzzle into unique jewelry pieces each one made by hand. It is these arts and others that I wanted to personally help sustain for future generations.
Now especially at Christmas time we can do something good and receive something beautiful in return. We help to keep the lights on in Italian Art studios. “Joy for Those who Give and Those Who Receive”.