Vasto Arts Workshops Seeks Partnerships, Artists and Organizations
We invite you to join us as a valued Partner in creating an inspiring and unforgettable experience at the Vasto Art Workshops, located on Italy’s breathtaking Adriatic Coast.
Founded by Luigi Monteferrante, the Vasto Art Workshops offer a unique opportunity to collaborate with renowned artists from Gruppo 21. Set in the picturesque town of Vasto, Abruzzo, this workshop brings together PARTNER FACULTY and PARTICIPANTS to explore and nurture creativity in an extraordinary and inspiring environment.
Join us for an exceptional artistic journey that promises to ignite your passion and elevate your artistic practice, yours and ours, everyone involved.
WHERE WE ARE
Vasto, a historic hilltop town just three hours from Rome, is an ideal location for a writing retreat.
With its breathtaking views of the Adriatic Sea, ancient landmarks like the Palazzo d’Avalos, and vibrant cultural offerings, Vasto serves as an endless source of inspiration.
The region is also rich in literary heritage, being the birthplace of famous writers such as Ovid, Ignazio Silone, and Gabriele D’Annunzio.
Participants will enjoy a guided tour of Vasto, using its historical sites as inspiration for their writing sessions.
visual arts workshop in Italy
General Outline and Details
Dates: (Monday to Friday)
Sessions: Morning and afternoon (9am-12pm & 4pm-7pm)
Location: Vasto’s historical sites, outdoor locations, and beaches
Limited spots: Max 15 participants for a personalized experience
why join us?
Expert guidance
Learn from Italian artists from Gruppo 21: Giulietta Spadaccini, Giuseppe Muzii, Nico Dell’Olio, Davide Scutece, Roberto Primiceri, and others – centuries of experience and artistic practice!
Mediums
All visual mediums—drawing, mixed media, collage, painting, and photography.
Creative settings
Workshops in cultural venues and inspiring outdoor locations.
Personalized experience
With only 15 participants, you’ll receive attentive guidance to advance your artistic practice.
WHAT YOU’LL TAKE AWAY:
A collection of your own artwork
New techniques and inspiration for your creative journey
Memories of a rewarding experience in a charming Italian city
A GROUP EXHIBITION
Don’t miss out on this exclusive opportunity!
The number of participants is limited to 10-15 participants, so we can provide for an unforgettable artistic adventure.
For more details and to apply, write us!
YOUR WORKSHOP FACILITATORS
NICO DELL’OLIO
Nico Dell’Olio, an artist with a natural inclination toward creativity, began his journey early, first studying at the Liceo Artistico and later earning a degree in architecture. This background in architecture profoundly influences his art, blending technical precision with expressive freedom.
Nico’s work explores diverse materials and techniques, creating paintings with shifting color intensity that changes with the light—whether natural or artificial. This dynamic interaction between the viewer and the piece reveals new facets with each perspective.
His paintings often focus on the sea and its endless horizon, symbolizing adventure and mystery. These compositions evoke a sense of boundless exploration, reflecting both physical landscapes and internal emotional journeys.
Alongside his independent artistic work, Nico has contributed to Italy’s cultural heritage through his involvement with the Ministry of Fine Arts. His architectural background enriches this work, blending structure and artistic expression.
Nico Dell’Olio has exhibited in notable venues, including the Palazzo Ducale Ex Prigioni in Venice, Galleria Artemisia in Udine. His work has been featured in Arte Flash, Arte World, and the Associazione Architetti Artisti publication, showcasing his ability to merge architecture and painting.
His art embodies the fusion of technical sophistication and creative expression, inviting viewers to explore both the natural world and the inner landscapes of the soul.
GIULIETTA SPADACCINI
Born in Vasto where she lives and works, she graduated with honors from the Academy of Fine Arts in L'Aquila. While continuing to paint, she became passionate about ceramics and attended courses at the International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza and in 1996 she opened the first laboratory in Vasto and continued her incessant activity in the new workshop on the central Corso Garibaldi. Over the years, her work have been part of numerous collective and personal exhibitions in Rome, Trento, and other museums across Italy.
GIUSEPPE MUZII
Through a journey that explores profound and sensitive themes, we enter the world of Giuseppe Muzii with discretion, almost on tiptoe. His works are not simple paintings, but real visual poems that express the wavering of man in the face of the uncertainty of existence and the mutability of a horizon never reached.
“Dress the form of a sensitive idea,” wrote Moreas in 1886 in the manifesto of literary Symbolism, and these words echo when observing Muzii's works. His subjects, similar but never identical, continually change in the eyes of those who know how to look, with the same fluidity of the woods abandoned by the waves of the sea of Vasto, which he collects and transforms into symbolic images.
His works, apparently easy to decode, often hide unpredictable and cryptic meanings, offering simple but profound emotions. Muzii has participated in numerous collective and solo exhibitions, including the Premio Città di Firenze, Artisti a Taormina. His works are present in private collections in Italy, Germany, France, Belgium and England.
ROBERTO PRIMICERI
Roberto Primiceri is constantly evolving across multiple disciplines, including painting, photography, and design. His work is a continuous exploration of diverse styles and subject matter, seamlessly blending bold geometries with unexpected elements. Primiceri’s artistic journey is defined by fluidity, constantly shifting between the abstract and the figurative, from the comic to the grotesque, and from the exotic to the deeply profound.
His art is less about seeking clear meaning and more about an ongoing quest for identity. Each piece is like a fragment of a larger, ever-unfolding narrative, akin to shadows dancing behind a curtain, ever-changing and multiform. These dynamic expressions eventually explode with vibrant colors and shapes, forming solid, striking compositions that are at once both visually captivating and emotionally complex. His work spans the spectrum of human experience, from lighthearted hilarity to the chaos of modern existence, and even the somber, sacred imagery of Christ on the Cross.
Primiceri’s creative expression is not confined to one medium; he is also a skilled photographer, capturing everything from high-fashion imagery to sweeping landscapes. For Primiceri, the journey is ongoing—an ever-expanding exploration of self, identity, and expression that transcends the conventional boundaries of art.
DAVIDE SCUTECE
Davide Scutece is an Italian artist whose work has been showcased both in Italy and Germany. With an ever-evolving approach to art, Scutece is on a continuous journey to explore new modes of expression, determined to avoid repeating himself in his creations. For him, art is not just a craft but an ongoing exploration of ideas and emotions, a way to communicate freely without restraint.
In his compositions, Scutece feels an exhilarating sense of freedom, allowing his thoughts, instincts, and soul to guide his brushwork. Describing his creative process as instinctive, spontaneous, and driven by a deep curiosity, he paints "using the wind and the rain," a metaphor for how external forces like nature, mood, and the ever-changing world around him influence his art. Each stroke is a result of his playful yet passionate approach, where he embraces the unpredictability of the moment, constantly seeking to transform his emotions into visual language.
Through his work, Scutece invites viewers to experience the freedom of his artistic process—an uncharted journey where each canvas becomes an unpredictable adventure.
LUIGI MONTEFERRANTE (Canada/Italy – non-teaching role)
Luigi Monteferrante, a figure whose origins trace back to Montreal, now calls the charming town of Vasto, Italy, his home. Founder and director of the Vasto Arts Workshops, which also encompass writing, he is a poet whose words have seamlessly transformed into paint.
His figurative paintings are more than mere images—they are stories, woven like novels from the great Russian classics, or as he humorously and with a touch of sarcasm claims, “Dickens with a brush.”
Luigi works in series, each piece unfolding like a chapter in a serialized narrative, designed for the eager eyes of the early industrial masses, hungry for literature. But much like the great writers he admires, he bears no fixed identity of his own. Instead, he slips into the lives and voices of his characters, crafting scenes where he is both creator and actor, casting his characters upon the canvas as if preparing a stage for a grand theatrical performance. The viewer, much like the audience in a play or the reader of a novel, becomes an integral part of the unfolding drama, invited to witness the dance of life and imagination that Monteferrante conjures with each brushstroke.
In the world of Luigi Monteferrante, identity is fluid, transient, and ever-changing—a mystery that can only be unraveled through the layers of his rich, narrative-driven works.
THE WORKSHOP
Cost:
FEE: TBD according to Customized Program, full/half-board, etc.
(Note: Option A covers the workshop alone; travel, accommodation, meals, and materials are NOT included, allowing you, your students, and participants a flexibility in planning and budgeting your/their stay.
Luigi can assist with logistics and local tips. Option B includes either lunch or dinner, or both, and a selection of accommodations. Typically, 3-star B & B, residence, or hotel is the standard choice.)
How to Apply
Participants are asked to register their interest and return the application form so we, the organizers, can best evaluate their interest and skills, and program accordingly.
Travel Information
Participants are responsible for booking their own flights and arranging ground transportation.
The Workshop is in Vasto, Italy – A charming seaside town on the Adriatic coast, just 3.5 hours east of Rome.
The nearest major airport is in Rome, from where you can take a direct bus to Vasto.
Alternatively, Pescara Airport offers budget-friendly flights from various European cities.
GETTING HERE
For travelers from North America, we recommend flying into Rome.
From Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, there are several bus services that provide direct transport to Vasto. The most convenient option is the bus to Vasto Terminal Bus—be sure to confirm your stop with the driver. The journey costs approximately €25, though prices may vary based on time and conditions. The bus transfer typically takes around 4.5 hours.
You can find bus timetables and book tickets at the following links:
GROUP TRAVEL
If you are traveling as part of a group, please inform us in advance. We will make every effort to accommodate group-specific needs and offer any additional arrangements when possible.
Join Us!
We would love to speak with you.
Feel free to reach out using the below details.