Twentieth-century artist Lea Colliva captures the hearts of modern-day art lovers in her 2018 exhibition. A 'forgotten' female artist is rediscovered during an expedition that goes from villa to villa, and into the archives and atelier. A summertime project whose echoes will last for posterity, 'Lea Colliva on the Pathway to the Gods' takes art supporters on their own path toward the discovery of Tuscany and beyond. Beauty, art and nature combine revealing the landscape that fostered Colliva's love for Naturalism and stimulated her colorist vein. Lea Colliva was a 'flood lady' who donated art to Florence after the 1966 flood and her works represent the efforts of a hidden generation of Bolognese artists whose stories are waiting to be intertwined with the creative efforts today's youth. A project for restoration, exhibition and various forms of artistic expression from the early twentieth century to today.
Restoration of art by women... on paper. The show's centerpiece is Colliva's early self-portrait, newly restored as part of 'Women Who Drew', a workshop spearheaded by Beatrice Cuniberti, conservator at the helm of the Atelier degli Artigianelli. The atelier is one of the many workshops aimed at recovering Florence's ancient trades within OMA (Osservatorio dei Mestieri d'Arte). The workshop, brainchild of AWA and Il Palmerino, is part of a larger initiative to create a Florentine archive for art by women on paper, including drawings, photography and graphic art. "Women artists throughout history have chosen paper as their prime medium, even before drawings were considered finished works of art," says Cuniberti.
