Italian American Digest 7Italian American Digest FALL 2018 | Page 3

FALL 2018 I talian A merican D igest C iao AICC Members! I hope you had a great summer filled with wonderful adventures! I know I did. I traveled with the American Ital- ian Cultural Center to Venezia, Bolo- gna, Firenze, and Roma, and my trip got off to a crazy start… I arrived in Venezia on a Saturday morning around 10 a.m., and since I was in no rush, I decided to take the bus from the airport into the city. While trying to figure out the directions to my hotel, I stumbled across a different hotel that I had stayed at with friends back in 1987. I stopped to take a couple pictures to share, and out of the corner of my eye I saw my bags rolling toward the canal! I tried to grab them, but I couldn’t stop them in time. My bags did a perfect cannonball into the canal! I looked around shocked. Thankfully a water taxi driver came up and offered his assistance. We jumped on his parked boat and tried to get the bags, but they were just out of reach. Finallly, the bags floated toward the bulkhead, which allowed the driver to hoist them out of the water with his umbrella. My larger bag had gone from 45 pounds to at least 80! The taxi driver returned to his boat without asking for anything in return; nonetheless, I ran over and handed him 20 euros. After retrieving my sopping wet bags, I was on my way to the hotel at last! Once I arrived at the hotel, I began the difficult process of unpacking and sorting wet from dry. I took my clothes to the laundry, began blow drying my electrical items, and spread out my important papers. Luckily I only lost my dopp kit, briefcase, and camera. After my whirlwind day, I went to sleep early. The following morning, I was rested and ready to meet the AICC group when they arrived. I cannot wait for my next adventure! A dopo! Warmly, Frank Maselli AICC Chairman PAGE 3 Achille Perrelli’s Artistic Instincts Led Him to New Orleans Perelli continued to sculpt in New Orleans, Achille Perelli was an Italian-born New Orleans now creating busts of historical figures, including artist who created paintings and sculptures depict- various Confederate monuments, as requested by ing Louisiana wildlife and figures throughout the the city. His notable statues include a Stonewall Jackson monument in Metairie Cemetery and a 19th century. Robert E. Lee bust in Greenwood Cemetery. Perelli was born in Milan, Italy, on March 7, Perelli’s 1822, and trained paintings, at the Academia which can be di Belle Ati under found in the sculptor Galli. As a New Orleans young man, Perelli Museum of fought in the Ital- Art and the ian Revolution of Louisiana State 1848 in an effort to Museum, often unify the country. depict wildlife The efforts were he found com- led by Giuseppe pelling during Garibaldi, who was his time in ultimately defeat- Louisiana. He ed, causing Perelli painted realistic to escape to Amer- images of small ica. creatures native As an artist, to the state, Perelli considered such as birds his craft when and fish, which deciding where he Perelli would would spend the catch himself. rest of his life. He As New Or- traveled through- leans celebrates out the United its 300th year, States, looking for Perelli’s work a perfect location continues to to find inspiratation echo the com- Ultimately, the plicated history wildlife and land- of Louisiana, scape of the South- from its turbu- east drew him to lent Civil War New Orleans, a years to its city that would serene natural recognize his talent beauty. for generations to Nature Morte: Red Squirrel, a watercolor by Achille Perelli come. by Tabor Brewster