Associazione Umbra Arte Contemporanea e Scambi Culturali
Association of Contemporary Art and Cultural Exchange for Umbria
Art is a bridge to the world and the ArtEX mandate is to encourage and expand this artistic cross-roads into a strong artistic community for art lovers and practitioners from around the world.
ArtEX is based in the beautiful umbrian hill-top town of Todi and from there it undertakes a wide range of activities and services to support and encourage the building of a broad artistic community throughout the region of Umbria open to the world.
Art Zone Umbria
Umbria is steeped in art, from 4th Century Etruscan discoveries, to the renaissance through to the present day, becoming a melting pot of artistic activity involving local, regional and global artists. The rich early artistic history has been built on over time with different artistic influences making home in Umbria and waves of new artistic talent continues to arrive to this day.
ART HISTORY
The High Renaissance period of the early 16th Century included the artist of the ‘Umbrian school’ which included artists such as Perugino, Raphael and Pinturichcio
20th CENTURY
Umbria was a centre for ‘modernist’ and ‘futurist’ art in the 20th century claiming notable artists such as Alberto Burri, Piero Dorazio, Gerado Dottori and Leonardo Leoncillo
TODAY
The 21st century continues this strong tradition from Umbria encompassing all streams of artistic expression. Once again this is an outward-facing community of artists both locally-born and artists attracted into Umbria from around the globe.
Alberto Burri 1915 – 1995 An Umbrian visual artist, painter, sculptor and physician. He is associated with the matterism of the European informal art movement and described his style as a polymaterialist.
Piero Dorazio 1927 – 2005 He created abstract paintings known for their bold colours and geometric patterns. He was regarded as one of the leading Italian artists of concrete colour painting.
Pietro Perugino 1446 – 1523 was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Umbrian school. Raphael was his most famous pupil.
Brian O-Doherty Brian O’Doherty is an Irish art critic, writer, artist, and academic. He lives in New York and Todi, Italy. He is the author of the treatise ‘Inside the White Cube”, a defining work in the art world from the 1970s onwards.
Michele Ciribifera is a notable sculptor based in Umbria. His work defines the mysterious interaction between energy and matter.
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino known as Raphael 1483 – 1520 was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance.
Beverly Pepper 1922 – 2020 An American sculptor known for her monumental works, site specific and land art.
Her works have been exhibited major museums around the world, including the Metropolitan NY, Whitney NY, Uffizi, Hirschhorn, Les Jardins du Palais Royal in Paris and many others. She lived and worked in Umbria.
Carlo Rocchi Bilancini Artistic photographer. His first solo exhibition in New York, Migration, was held in 2018.
Roberto Bernardi is an Umbrian photorealist painter who explores the beauty of everyday life though the reflections and transparencies in his still life paintings.
Etruscan Art 3rd Centry BC produced by the Etruscan civilization in the region of current day Umbria.
Community: Artists and Art Lovers
A vibrant contemporary art community lives and works around Todi and throughout Umbria, building on centuries of artistic excellence and renown. A wide range of artistic mediums is practised and enthusiastically followed today supported by galleries and art services of all types including: Painting, Photography, Sculpture, Print-making, Ceramics, Objet d’arte, Art restoring
Galleries
Galleries – Todi is home to numerous distinguished and unusual galleries, offering rotating exhibitions from contemporary masters, as well as intriguing work from emerging and more established artists working in and near Todi and other Umbrian towns. The galleries are frequented by the vibrant art community of collectors, artists, and art enthusiasts in the area, and by sophisticated tourists who find their way to Todi.
Artists and Artisans
Artists and Artisans – Todi is an inspiration for artists in a wide variety of media – painting, sculpture, photography, video, ceramics, print-making, digital and performance art – as well as superb artisans producing jewelry, intarsia, marquetry, high-design furniture, lamps and unique decorative and household objects.
Exhibitions
Exhibitions – In Todi’s contemporary galleries, you will find installations from some of today’s most exciting artists. But Todi is also steeped in a tradition of excellence that can be viewed and enjoyed in the city’s many traditional churches and buildings, where you will find original frescoes and paintings inspired by historical events and personalities.
Art Workshops
Students will learn skills and techniques from professional artists in an environment of encouragement and support. The class programs are broad, catering to all levels of experience from the absolute beginner to the advanced artist. The program covers a wide range of media and genres.
The workshops will be not be all work but will be your entre into the local community of Todi which is a cultural experience in itself. At the end of the class, students will be encouraged to celebrate their art work in a group exhibition by the whole class. Local Todi and Umbrian artists and supporters will be invited to attend the exhibition.
Wide Range of Workshops
- Painting
- Print Making
- Photography
- Ceremics
- Sculpture
- Jewelry
Stay and Play
ArtEX will help you find the best accommodation choices to suit your preferences and budget. We will also arrange activities and experiences for both you and your travelling companions to help you fully immerse yourself into the Umbrian life-style.
Donate to Support Us
ArtEX is a not-for-profit organisation and relies upon the financial support of sponsors and supporters to fund the various programs and to help us grow. Please consider making a donation to support a specific program or to provide a monthly contribution to cover our regular operating costs.
Tax-deductible Donations for US Citizens
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to American Friends of ArtEX, a 501(c)(3) organization that promotes international cultural exchange and supports the exhibitions and programs of ArtEX-Italia.
Contact Us
We are here to help you so don’t hesitate to contact us.
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