News - March 21, 2008

Art in the Service of Power

Italian photographer Oliviero Toscani has used his fashion photographs to confront societal mores since the 1960s. In a conference organized by SU Florence and sure to spark lively debate, Toscani will present his ideas to the SUF and Florentine communities in a public lecture in the city center, entitled Art in the Service of Power: Ethics and Social Responsibility in Advertising.

After the conference an exhibition by the same name will be inaugurated at the SUF Art Gallery, presenting selected works from Toscani's career, and providing an overview of the many wide-spread issues the photographer has addressed through his advertisement campaigns.

Toscani’s conference and the exhibition at the SUF Art Gallery come under the auspices of “Contemporary Visions: Encounters with Art.” This SU Florence initiative spotlights the work of practicing artists through exhibits and lectures aimed at raising issues faced by artists in the twenty-first century. Contemporary Visions events also comprehend studio visits by the invited guest. In fact, Toscani has also agreed to critique a selection of works by SU Florence studio arts students.

The exhibition remains open to the public through May 31, 2008.

Conference: April 2, 2008 - 6pm Salone Brunelleschi Piazza SS Annunziata 12

Exhibition: Inauguration to follow the conference SUF Art Gallery Via dei Della Robbia, 99
Open Thursdays through Saturdays, 5-8pm

For information gallery@syr.fi.it.

“It’s all about you”

The SU Florence campus puts a fresh spin on end-of-the-semester festivities with a new celebration entitled Student Day.

While the SU Florence campus has long recognized the accomplishments of its students and offered an end-of-the-semester party, Student Day will combine various awards and activities to celebrate student achievements during the semester.

The celebrations begin at 5pm in the studio spaces on Piazzale Donatello, with a show of a selection of studio artwork from the various disciplines. While the show will remain open until 8pm, at 6pm the focus of the celebration will move to the Villa Rossa, with an award ceremony for outstanding students from the Internship Program, the Volunteer Program, and the winners of the Coluccio Salutati Prize. Another new twist to the celebration will be the presence of—and awards to—a group of Italian elementary schoolchildren, the winners of the SUF-sponsored Dr. Seuss Creativity Contest. Following the awards, refreshments will be offered to all in the garden of the Villa Rossa.

At 7pm the focus shifts yet again, as SUF students, faculty and staff, and host families enjoy the production of this semester’s I Giullari, the widely popular theater group made up of SUF students and led by Prof. Eric Nicholson.

Dinner and music for all in the Villa Rossa garden will wrap up the celebration.

Student Day will take place on April 24.