Newsletter of the Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and CommerceNewsletter of the Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce

Palazzo De La Salle, 219, Republic Street, Valletta VLT 1116 • Tel: 2124 4339 • Fax: 2124 6074 • www.artsmalta.org • info@artsmalta.orgPalazzo De La Salle, 219, Republic Street, Valletta VLT 1116 • Tel: 2124 4339 • Fax: 2124 6074 • www.artsmalta.org • info@artsmalta.org

January 2009 • Issue NJanuary 2009 • Issue Noo 10 10

THE SOCIETY’S ARTS THE SOCIETY’S ARTS & CRAFTS STUDENTS & CRAFTS STUDENTS ANNUAL EXHIBITIONANNUAL EXHIBITION

At Palazzo de La Salle the Annual Society’s Arts & Crafts Students Exhibition was held during the month of December. The works exhibited by the students were various and the hundreds of visitors had the opportunity to admire and appreciate the talent of our young and adult students. This was one of the many artistic events organized by the Council of the Society during 2008 to promote the courses organized by the Society and encourage new students to join these courses. The Exhibition was inaugurated by Mr. Joseph J. Mifud, Acting President of the Society during the Prize Day of the Society.

Editorial

www.bov.com

Sponsored by

Resolutions abound at the beginning of a new year, only to be broken soon after being made.

One should best heed St Francis counsel to his brothers when he exhorted them to start doing something good ‘as up to now we have done nothing’. In this spirit the Society should face with energy and determination the year 2009 where a vast programme of activities is scheduled.

In the last issue of Focus it was stated that a new classroom will in the coming months be available

to be utilized for music lessons. As can be seen elsewhere in this issue work is in hand and most probably work will be completed by the time you will be reading this. Another project mentioned in the last issue concerned the façade of the Palazzo where its restoration will prevent the seeping of rainwater in the Sala dei Cavalieri and into other rooms. Furthermore this renovation will embellish the locality, particularly when the restoration of the canopied balcony, which is part of the project, will be prominently brought to light. The work will be under the supervision of the Restoration Unit of the Ministry of Resources and Rural Affairs and the tender was awarded earlier this month.

The Council held a number of meetings to discuss the updating of the Society’s Statute. Members

have now received the proposed amendments which are intended to rectify certain shortcomings and to provide for possible future requirements in connection with the smooth running of the Society. It is expected that members participate actively at the Extraordinary General Meeting which will be held in February specifi cally to modernize the Statute. We take the opportunity to remind members that the subscription fee is now overdue; early payment would be much appreciated. The Annual General Meeting will be held in March and it is hoped that members’ attendance will be much more noticeable than in previous years. As one can observe there is visible evidence of the progress in the Society’s activities but if progress is to be maintained and improved the members’ interest and participation is of foremost importance.

Finally we would like to welcome Sue Mifsud, Administrative Assistant, as a new member

of the editorial team. Sue Mifsud has taken up employment with the Society as from January 2009 and besides assisting in the everyday administration she will be particularly involved in co-ordinating the organization of the exhibitions and activities.

2

Calendar of Events of the Society for 2009

January • 9th to 22nd ‘Lost Horizons’ at Palazzo De La Salle Photographic Exhibition by Charles Mifsud • 16th at 7pm at Palazzo De La Salle Concert by Marilyn Cutajar’s Students • 30th at 7pm at Palazzo De La Salle Prize Giving Ceremony by Ghaqda Poeti Maltin

February • 5th to 21st ‘ArtGems - an art exhibition by four artists’ at Palazzo De La Salle - Collective Art Exhibition • 13th at 7.30pm at Palazzo De La Salle - Concert by Vox Lirica

March • 2nd to 19th ‘Mediterranean’ at Palazzo De La Salle - Collective Art Exhibition • 27th to 17th April at Palazzo De La Salle Art Exhibition by Eman Grima

April • 25th to 9th May ‘Anime Delle Terre’ at Palazzo De La Salle Exhibition of Paintings and Ceramics by Paul Vella Critien • 30th at 7.30am in Gozo - Cultural Tour

May • 8th at 7.30pm at Villa Arrigo Annual Fund Raising Dinner • 27th at 6pm at Palazzo De La Salle London College of Music Workshop • 29th at 6.30pm at Casino Maltese London College of Music Awards and Concert

June • 1st to 14th ‘Rock n Roll Strugglefest’ at Palazzo De La Salle - Exhibition by artist Cabot Goslin

July • 1st at 7pm at Palazzo De La Salle The Society’s Summer Get Together • 2nd and 3rd at 8pm ‘The Summer Fling’ at Palazzo De La Salle - A collection of cultural events including visual art and music • 16th to 29th at Palzzo De La Salle Annual Art Society Members’ Exhibition

October • 1st at 7.30pm at Palazzo De La Salle 8th National Art Competition Awards and Exhibition opening • 2nd to 23rd at Palazzo De La Salle 8th National Art Competition Exhibition • 3rd at 6pm ‘White Nights at the Palazzo’ at Palazzo De La Salle - Cultural Events forming part of Notte Bianco • 23rd at 6.30pm at Casino Maltese London College of Music Awards and Concert • 28th at 6pm at Palazzo De La Salle London College of Music Workshop • 29th to 11th November at Palazzo De La Salle 3rd Annual Exhibition by the Pastels Society of Malta

November • 16th to 28th ‘Concepts’ at Palazzo De La Salle Exhibition by artists Elizabeth Borg and Matthew Cassar

December • 7th at 6.30pm at Palazzo De La Salle Prize Day and Opening of Students Exhibition • 8th to 14th at Palazzo De La Salle Arts and Crafts Society Students Annual Exhibition • 19th and 20th at Palazzo De La Salle - Crafts Fair

events@artsmalta.org

meet the teachers Nadine Micallef-GrimaudNadine Micallef-Grimaud floral artfloral artPainting has been one of the main motivating forces in Nadine’s passion for the Arts. She started painting lessons at the age of eight with Soeur Claude. At the age of ten she won her first important Prize in Taiwan when her work was awarded “The Special Selected Work Prize”. Since then Nadine furthered her studies seriously under the tuition of her father/Artist Chev. Aldo Micallef-Grimaud. She also attended “Life Classes” at the Malta Society of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce. Nadine participated in various collective exhibitions both locally and abroad. She has been presented with the Special Distinction Award at the Malta International Art Biennale. Her work is exhibited at Tempra Museum M©arr, together with other contemporary artists. Nadine is a Qualified Floral Designer and is the Floral Art teacher at the Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce-Valletta and at the Ladies Cultural Attard Club. Nadine holds a Demonstrator’s Diploma of Nafas(National Association of Flower Arranging Society) She has many Awards and prizes at International level. Nadine has registered notable successes in Durban-South Africa, England, Belgium and also captured a coveted major award in Boston U.S.A. Lately, she won a “Gold Ribbon” in Toronto – Canada. Nadine’s works were published in magazines, catalogues and books including Depiro’s Dictionary of Artists- Malta, International Art Biennale,Malta, the Belgian magazine and in Lyn Amos’s book –New Zealand. She is also the holder of “La Medaglia d’Oro” of the Accademia del Mediterraneo – Gold Medal by the Horticultural Society and a Gold Ribbon in Toronto – Canada. Nadine has not limited herself to painting and floral art as such, but has extended her sphere of activities to other branches of the Arts such as sculpture, fashion-designing and classical singing which she studied under the tuition of Soprano Antoinette Miggiani and Prof.Dobreva, after having to put aside ballet (was awarded a year’s scholarship- Ms.Daphne Lungaro Mifsud) and modelling.

When did you start Floral Art and how long have you been teaching at the Society? My mother Mariuccia was the first person in Malta to obtain her Demonstrators Diploma from the National Association of Floral Art Society

(N.A.F.A.S.) in the UK. She trained me as well as my sister Glorian when we were both very young. In the years that followed, we both attended courses in the UK where we studied and trained until we obtained our own Demonstrators Diploma (N.A.F.A.S. – UK, 1988). I have been teaching for over twenty years now; nine at this Society. I have also attended various courses in Cardiff-Wales and in England.

Was it difficult to study abroad? Very much so, and expensive too! For one of our exams we had to study botany. Our friends took us to various nurseries around the country to study a wide variety of plants’ botanical names in the Latin Language. In addition to this we were made to study them also by touch and smell, and that was no joke!

Floral Art has come a long way since flowers were just dumped in a vase with water. Could you elaborate on the modern trends in this Art? Indeed, nowadays Floral Art is considered as any other art form. One must apply the principles of design, scale, space, balance and harmony just as they are applied in all the spheres of art. In addition to these, one has to be creative and imaginative. I just love teaching Modern/Abstract designs. It is totally different from the traditional and classical floral art courses that I also teach. In modern styles we use fewer materials, practically all sorts of things such as pipes, springs, self-made containers and a few flowers. One might think that it is easy and simple but this is what I tell my pupils: “It is fun, rewarding and brain-draining!” because there is actually a lot of thought behind each and every design – no matter how abstract it may appear.

You come from a family replete with artistic talent. Your father is a well known professional artist and your mother’s name is synonymous with floral art and she is one of the pioneers in this field. This is both

an advantage and a disadvantage. An advantage as you have no doubt inherited the artistic traits of your parents and a disadvantage as perhaps you are overshadowed by their achievements and you continuously have to prove that you are an artist in your own right. Do you agree with this? Yes, it is an advantage and an honour to have such high-profile artists as parents. Thank God I have been lucky enough to inherit their artistic traits. Life would be so monotonous without art! Art is my passion. I certainly disagree with your statement that I am somehow overshadowed by any of my parents. On the contrary, their distinctive artistic prowess and enthusiasm throughout their long careers have greatly enlightened and fashioned my own artistic individuality. Modestly, I am the holder of four gold medals (one local and three international) along with a string of prestigious international prizes and awards to my credit both in floral art and in painting. Having said this, I consider myself as being “very down to earth”. Yes, I am both happy and proud to have earned such honours but doing what I love on a daily basis is the greatest achievement I could garner.

Is there an age where ideally one should start learning floral art? Is it only for females? As soon as they are capable of firmly holding a pair of scissors and have a flair for the art. I started off at eleven and my sister at the age of nine. I teach both sexes and from all walks of life.

Do students need to be artistically inclined or can people who do not know how to hold a pencil or a paint brush perform well in this field? In the words of a little cartoon character appearing in a recent Disney film: ‘not everyone can be an artist, but true art can come from anywhere’.

Dem.Dip.Nafas

m: not true art ue art

33Continue on page 5...

Nadine with some of her studentsNadine with some of her students

Prize Day of the SocietyPrize Day of the SocietyThe Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce held its Annual Prize Day for students from the Scholastic Year 2007 / 2008. The ceremony was held at Palazzo de La Salle before the opening of the Society’s Arts & Crafts Students Exhibition. In his address, the Acting President of the Society, Mr. Joseph J. Mifsud thanked everyone for the hard work being done which is not only resulting in higher standard of tuition but also seeing the Society through one of the brightest eras in its glorious history.

18 Students Awarded with a Scholarship18 Society’s students were presented with 3-month scholarships. The funds for these scholarships were raised during the Fund Raising Dinner which the Council of the Society organized last May at Villa Arrigo. The Acting President of the Society, Mr Joseph J. Mifsud presented the scholarships to these students: ART: Jake Zammit Fava, Carl Fenech, Chiara Darmanin, Francesca Attard, Gayle Scerri, Cynthia Buttigieg, Daphne Anna Pollacco, Marika Camilleri and Josette Fardell Agius, CRAFTS: Fatma Hima, Bernardette Bartolo, Jillian Mary Portelli, Rita Fenech, Agnes Bonnici and Natalie Said Sacco, MUSIC: Ryan Vella, Marilyn Theuma and Brooke Falzon.

44

A number of students and their tutors from the Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce were at the Ta’ Qali National Park for the events organized to celebrate the World Children’s

Day 2008. The students and the tutors not only painted and had fun but also took the opportunity to meet the public and with the slogan “Our right to have fun and learn” invited other children

to start learning the art of painting. This was another event from the Society to promote art.

World Children’s Day World Children’s Day

You are also an artist. Where have you studied ? Any favourite painter/s? What is your favourite medium? I won my first important Art competition in Taiwan when only ten years old. My father Aldo, passed on to me all that he successfully studied and trained for under the professional tuition of both the late Robert and Edward Caruana Dingli and others. I have even attended various courses including “life classes”. Salvador Dalí is by no doubt my favourite artist. Contemporary Spanish artist Antonio Fuertes, another surrealist, is one more favourite with whom I had the privilege to meet and have my work catalogued on the very same page as his! As you might have guessed my favourite genre is surrealism and I love painting and experimenting with all mediums but I tend to turn to my pastels and oils.

Any exhibitions? Many and various, both locally and abroad. The most prestigious one was when “UNESCO-Malta” sponsored all the five members of my family namely Mum and Dad, my brother Mario, my sister Glorian and myself to mount a painting exhibition at the Grand Hotel Phoenicia-Floriana. This turned out to be a resounding success.

Are there any flowers you are fond of? Yes, exotic ones, like orchids and anthuriums.

Are there any flowers you do not like so much or find difficult to arrange with and any comments you would like to end with? No, as I have learnt to love and appreciate each and every flower. Each one has its own beauty - just like any individual. Art is not a monopoly but a treasure to be enjoyed by all. My goal is to share as much of it as possible through my work.

...from page 3.Nadine Micallef-GrimaudNadine Micallef-Grimaud

treasurett easureasas

555555

meet the teachers Mark MicallefMark Micallef art

Sponsored by

Born in 1973 Mark received his primary education at Qormi, where he lived until the age of 11. Painting and creativity have always been part of his life. He started painting from a very young age and later continued to study Art both at secondary and tertiary level. At secondary level Mark studied for three years under the guidance of sculptor Anton Aguis. Mark remember Anton Agius during his most active years and has always been of great inspiration to him. His creative way of dealing with artistic subjects was very infl uential on the way Mark started to look at things around him. After his Secondary education Mark continued studying Art at Advanced level at the Junior College (at that time known as the Sixth Form) at Msida, where he studied under the guidance of senior university lecturer Mr.Theo Degiorgio. At that stage he also started to get more and more interested in History of Art and how art developed and changed along the years. Afterwards he continued his studies in Art education at university level, where he started a four year degree course in Education, specialising in art. At the university Mark studied under a number of infl uential artists, and art historians, of whom Mr. Harry Alden and Mr. Charles Cassar were of great inspiration. He graduated with a degree in Art Education and as from 1996 he had been an art teacher at the Boys Liceo in Hamrun (St.Gorg Preca College). At the Liceo Mark teaches the upper forms who are preparing for their Ordinary Level exam. For the past thirteen years he also has been teaching at the Malta Society of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce. During his fi rst years of teaching at the Society he taught different ages at various levels. However as time passed Mark focused more on teaching students at an advanced level. In fact most of his students sit for their ‘A’ level exams, whilst others attend Art lessons to enrich their artistic talents. Apart from the practical side, he also has been teaching History of Art for the past seven years, at the Society. This is a great challenge for him and he enjoys discussing with his students the various eras in the History of Art. While viewing powerpoint slides according to the artist or era discussed, he also fi nds time to talk with them about the artists’ lives, their works of Art and their inspirations. It is of great satisfaction for him that at the end of the course in History of Art, many students look forward to continue their studies in the subject. He also enjoys teaching both the practical and historical aspects of Art. When it comes to the practical side, he emphasises the importance of preparation, documentation, investigation, observation and fi nally, realisation. At the same time he tries to guide and encourage his students never to give up on a project, but to strive to give their best. His lessons on History of Art are more theoretical, so Mark prefers to base discussion on various artists and eras in art history. He encourage his students to participate, to criticise constructively the artists’ works and to learn how they achieved their goals. In Mark’s opinion, History of Art goes hand in hand with the practical side. Both need to be studied together, so that the students will learn from the art masters of the past their techniques, ideas and

ways how to develop their work. Together with artists from the past, it is of great importance that the students have a good knowledge of the contemporary artists, both international and also local. Moreover, visiting art exhibitions, art museums and observing other artists at work defi nitely enriches their ideas and ultimately, their work. Mark is of the opinion that during the past few years, the Art Department at the Society, reached a very high standard. Many more students are attending our courses, year after year, with more enthusiasm, energy and with a common target of progressing in their art techniques. The up-grading of the premises at Palazzo de la Salle helped a lot for this objective to be reached. Quoting the American Poet Amy Lowell, “Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in”. I believe that art is a medium through which we reveal our personality, our mood and our emotions. Furthermore he believes that through its process, all kinds of art help us to enrich our characters. He always seeks to be versatile and use various media to express himself. Besides experimenting with various techniques in painting, pottery and woodwork, during the past two years, he even engaged himself in photography. This is helping Mark even more to look at things creatively. Through photography he is becoming a keen on observer of various subjects and looks to exploit his work more, both in terms of light and composition. The digital era through software like photoshop, is also helping him to achieve this goal. Learning is a never ending process. During these past years of teaching Mark learned a lot together with his students. He looks forward to continuing with this passion for art and together with his students he will enrol in a lively and friendly environment where all will develop their artistic values in their own unique ways.

Mark during one of his lessonsMark during one of his lessons

Presentation of LCM DiplomasThe Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce held the annual concert for graduates who had obtained a Diploma of the London College of Music. The concert and presentation of Diplomas was held at the Casino Maltese, in Valletta. The event was attended by Mr Richard Lambert, the LCM Examiner in Malta for the Winter Practical Examinations. The programme started with a piano duet, Michele Galea & Christine Marie Borg playing Johannes Brahms Hungarian Dance No 2 and 5. They were followed by Angelo Borg on the Saxophone (Air Tendre et Courante by Lully), Mark Cachia on the piano (The Art of Finger Dexterity No. 31 by Czerny ), Myranda Attard on the piano (Etude Op. 4, No 3 by Szymanowski) and George Apap on the clarinet (Clarinet Sonata in Eb Major and Op. 120, No. 2 1st Mov. Allegro Amabile by Johannes Brahms). The concert came to an end after performances by Mark Bartolo on the piano (Sonata in D 1st Mov. Allegro by Mozart), Martina De

LCM Examinations in 2009The Society announced the dates of the Practical and Theory Examinations for 2009.

PRACTICAL EXAMINATIONS:SPRING SESSION: in May 2009 and the closing date for applications is Friday 6th March 2009 WINTER SESSION: in October 2009 and the closing date for applications is Friday 7thAugust 2009

THEORY EXAMINATIONS:SPRING SESSION: Wednesday 1st April 2009 and closing date for applications is Friday 23rd January 2009SUMMER SESSION: Saturday 20th June 2009 and closing date for applications is Friday 19th April 2009WINTER SESSION: Saturday 28th November 2009 and closing date for applications is Friday 11th September 2009

ENTRY FORMS may be obtained from the Society at Palazzo de La Salle, 219 Republic Street, Valletta, Monday to Friday between 8am and 1.00pm Tel: 21244339 - 21244400, or downloaded from the website at www.artsmalta.org. More information may be obtained from lcm@artsmalta.org.

Bono on the piano (Prelude in D Flat by Chopin), Micahel Bonanno on the clarinet (Ellerby Sonata 3rd Mov. By Martin Ellerby) and Kimberly Terribile (left photo) on the Piano (St Francois De Paule / Merchant Sur Les Flots by F. Liszt). After a short message, the Acting President of the Society, Mr Joseph J. Mifsud and Mr Richard Lambert, presented the Diplomas to the graduates. The programme was presented by Ms Gayle Scerri.

7

Mr Joseph J Mifsud Acting President of the Mr Joseph J Mifsud Acting President of the Society presenting a student her diplomaSociety presenting a student her diploma

8

Work is being carried out to convert this hitherto unused room into a music classroom. Care is being taken not to remove the features of the room which presumably served as a kitchen during the Knights period.

Artists’ point of contact

T h e S o c i e t y h a s e m p l o y e d an Administrative Assistant as a direct point of contact for our artists. Sue Mifsud started with us on the 5th January 2009 and her main duties will be coordinating the Society’s art exhibitions and competitions, overseeing private exhibitions, organizing cultural events and generally corresponding with the membership. Public relations, promotion of activities and the upkeep of the website will also be handled by Sue who can be contacted for further information between 11am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, on the main lines 21244339 or 21244400 or by contacting her directly by email on events@artsmalta.org.

A New Upright Piano for the SocietyThe Society recently bought a 122cm KAWAI upright piano. The Society intends to use the piano for the London College of Music (Grades) Practical Examinations. On the advice of various examiners from the London College of Music and local music teachers this piano was used for the Winter Practical Examinations. The baby-grand piano was used only by candidates sitting for the Diploma. The feed back we had from the candidates, the teachers and the LCM Examiner was very positive and the Council took the initiative to purchase the piano after a call for quotations was made.

Digital Offset Tour with new innovation for Artists

Would you like to tour a high tech printing press and fi nd out how your art work can be turned into a high quality print? We are organizing small groups of artists to visit Impressions Limited in Marsa for a 45 minute tour. Artists that book can also send a high resolution digital fi le sample to the company for a personalized print to be presented to them on the day. The tour will consist of:-

A Video presentation to introduce Digital a) OffsetA visit inside the pressb) Explanation of New Ideas for Artists using c) Digital OffsetPresentation of samplesd) Questions and answerse)

Impressions are kindly accepting groups free of charge.Interested? Please email events@artsmalta.org to enquire about dates. Open to Society Members only.

You can now fi nd us on Facebook!

The Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce Facebook Group Apart from our website and newsletters, the Art Society has now started a Facebook Group to keep you up to date with our current events. Information on all exhibitions taking place in the gallery and any future lectures, workshops or musical events will all be advertised and can be accessed by the Facebook Group members. In addition to that, invitations to exhibition openings will also be sent to all the Facebook Group members. Search for Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce in Facebook 'Groups' and join in a click! This is an open Facebook Group so please feel free also to invite your friends to join.