The Florence Academy of Art
di // pubblicato il 17 Febbraio, 2007
The Florence Academy of Art Second Annual Alumni Exhibition takes place February 4-11, 2006 in Florence, Italy, in a unique venue: the 16th century stables of the Corsini family palace.? The Florence Academy's exhibition last year was the first public event to enjoy the rich details of these newly restored stables: Doric columns in pietra serena stone and four-point arches. More than 100 paintings and sculptures by Daniel Graves and the Academy's alumni adorned this magnificent location. The Florence Academy of Art began training students in old master techniques in 1991, and has produced a new generation of realist artists. Many of the 50 alumni who will participate in the exhibition were those already seen at the Panorama Museum in Germany and at Hirschl & Adler Gallery in New York in 2003, so the caliber of the work is guaranteed. An estimated 1000 people attended the public opening last year. The exhibition will include 100 oils (portraits, figures, interiors, still lifes, landscapes) and statues in bronze.
The stables are located in the center of Renaissance Florence. During the last 100 years or so, the stables have been used as a repository for palace objects. It was the Academy's task to clear them out and convert them into an exhibition space. 
In exchange, they will be ours to use for three years. We began work on the first of September, 2004 - a gigantic project that took about twenty days. I hired a professional crew, but when the princess arrived in an apron, and handed one to me, I understood immediately that this was going to be a hands-on job! We found countless items, from folded paintings to massive marble statues, small beaded baskets and all sorts of contraptions from the past. We literally went backwards in time, finding things that belonged to Princess Corsini's grandmother (like a hand-operated lift for people!); after that, everything she found she had never seen before like a banner with the family crest unfolding to measure 17 meters x 6 meters. Something that unfolded into what might have been a Titian became dust blowing in the wind. It was a treasure hunt to say the least! But beyond the century's worth of dirt and pilings are Doric columns in pietra serena stone and four-point arches. Cleaning and minor restoration of the structure began soon after, but it was our intention to keep the place looking old. There is such beauty in the patina the room has acquired, and we did not want that cleaned away! 
All this to say, the setting for our work was nothing less than marvelous, and we feel fortunate to have been offered use of the stables by Princess Corsini, herself. We not only had a unique venue for our exhibition, visible to the public for the first time ever last year, but we had the keen support of one of Florence's most important noble families. We hope this exhibition and the events surrounding it will become an annual mid-winter destination for the Academy's alumni and supporters.
The Florence Academy of Art was founded by Daniel Graves in 1991, in a small studio in the gardens of the Corsini Family home. A great patron of the arts, Princess Giorgiana Corsini knew Graves since his arrival in Florence in the 1980's. The Academy now has six studios in Florence, and 99 students from 25 countries, who have come to study the traditional techniques, charcoal and oil mediums for painters and clay and bronze for sculptors. They spend three years of full time study at the Academy, with a fourth year or specialization possible. For a complete description of how Daniel Graves formed The Florence Academy of Art (contact information: Susan Tintori).
Facts on the Second Annual Alumni Exhibition
Number of exhibiting artists: 54
Number of countries represented among the exhibiting artists: 15
Number of women artists exhibiting: 22
Average age of exhibiting artists: 30
All of the artists have studied at least three years at the Academy under the direction of founder, Daniel Graves. They are all working as professional artists, and their works are in galleries and private collections in the United States, England, and other countries
(pubblicato Terra di Toscana febbraio 2006 e riportato sul blog in data odierna)