By Madison Landau
In today’s society, there seems to be a holiday to celebrate just about anything. There’s a national holiday for Nutella, siblings, and even for French bulldogs.
Here in Italy we recently celebrated on March 8th an important holiday that won’t just be swept under the rug like the others; International Women’s Day was celebrated proudly by allowing free admission to state and municipal museums for women.
Even though Women’s Day is just once a year, you can make exploring female themes in the local culture a regular part of your daily routine. If you like exhibitions, for example, try to find special shows in your area that may focus on female artists or artists who focus on female sources of inspiration.
In Florence, the famed Uffizi Gallery Museum houses historic artists such as Artemisia Gentileschi, who is considered to be one of the most successful painters after the Caravaggio era. It’s important to not just see her artwork, but to know all that went behind it. Being an artist wasn’t easy back in the male-dominated Renaissance era, and being a female artist made recognition much more difficult.
Artemisia overcame such obstacles within her lifetime to achieve the fame she enjoys today, and for women across Italy to have the opportunity to see her artwork firsthand can prove to be a real inspiration for all. At the FUA campus, the Artemisia Room is dedicated to this important artist, and often hosts experiential learning students who collaborate on special projects related to videomaking, visual communication, and journalism.
To commemorate International Women’s Day as more than a “hallmark holiday” shows a great deal of respect to the women of not just Italy but internationally. During your studies and your daily life in Florence, seek to uncover the great as well as lesser-known women who have contributed to the artistic and civic culture of Florence and Tuscany.
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