Museo Italo Americano Capital Campaign – Permanent History Exhibit and Art – Roots & Renaissance
“Without memory there is no future. . .“
— Lorenzo Ortona, former Consul General of Italy in San Francisco
Permanent History Exhibit
Although Italian immigrants and their descendants have made significant contributions to nearly every aspect of California, there is currently no single location that publicly documents, shares, and honors these dynamic stories. The Museo will present this compelling and living history in a 4,000 square-foot exhibition highlighting the substantial ways in which Italian immigrants and their descendants have shaped our state’s history and how they continue to leave their vibrant mark. Designed by San Francisco firm Macchiatto, this exhibit will also be formally dedicated to the memory and legacy of A.P. Giannini, founder of Bank of America.
A Preview of One of the Key Features of This Exhibit, Sunday Dinner
A dynamic touch surface table is the anchor of our exhibit space, encouraging visitors to interact with both the device and one another to explore stories.
As a visitor arrives at their “setting”, they see a series of virtual “dishes”, each representing a grouping of stories from the exhibit themes. The visitor may drag a dish to their setting, populating their plate with a story from this theme. Each plate contains a photo or video, and is accompanied by adjacent text with an explanation of the selection.
A “continuum slider” appears around the edge of the plate as a decorative detail. It is a linear user interface, containing image thumbnails of all the stories of the theme. The visitor may slide their finger around this continuum to highlight different stories, which will allow them to become featured on the plate.
” The Italian artistic heritage [in California], however, has rarely been recognized or documented even though Italian artists have painted some of the finest portraits of the state’s pioneers and gave testimony through their works of the magnificence of California’s natural beauty. Their contribution to the art of California cannot be overlooked or underestimated since they enriched our state’s culture. . . ”
— Italian American Artists in California 1850 to 1925 Exhibit Catalog, Museo Italo Americano
Art and Artists
Explore the treasures of our permanent collection – Click HERE to delve into our ARTE catalog
