ARTISANS AND THE FAMILY, 2008

Promoted by OmA, the project was carried out by the Horne Museum which, following great demand, will offer for the second year educational activities and workshops. Participation is free.
The initiative is directed at families with children from 8 to 13 years with the proposal of an itinerary of acquiring an understanding of and experimenting with traditional artistic techniques in collaboration with Florentine artisans.
The 2008 edition of the project was dedicated to precious metal arts, the goldsmith’s art and the silversmith’s art, and offered an experience that included a visit to the Horne Museum with in-depth historical and artistic study of the technique selected, visits to artisan workshops and workshop experience to experiment firsthand with traditional techniques.
1st Course structure (October 4-11-18, 2008)
It’s a true and proper course consisting of three meetings on embossing and chiseling techniques, gold-working and the creation of jewelry. A first meeting on the history of the goldsmith’s art through the examples kept at the Horne Museum, is followed by a visit to Paolo Penko’s workshop. It concludes in the workshop of the Museum with the making of a small piece of jewelry.

ARTISANS AND THE FAMILY, 2007 EDITION

During the months of April and May, 2007 the initiative Artigiani in famiglia, took place at the Museo Horne, a project of the Horne Museum in collaboration with the Osservatorio dei Mestieri d’Arte, promoted by the Ente Cassa di Risparmio.
The project, co-ordinated by Elisabetta Nardinocchi and planned by Cristina Bucci and Chiara Lachi, of the cultural association L’immaginario, with the collaboration of Claudio Paolini, distinguished itself by its innovative character and the high cultural profile of the proposal.
Directed towards families with children between the ages of 8 and 13, the initiative involved 145 adults and children in an itinerary of acquiring an understanding of and experimenting with traditional artistic techniques still alive today thanks to the work and know-how of Florentine artisans.
The activities, conceived as two true and proper courses of three meetings each on the artistic techniques of wood-working – from inlaying to gilding – and precious metal-working, in particular silver, consisted in visits to the museum with in-depth historical explanations, visits to artisan workshops (Foglia Argenteria) and art restoration schools (Associazione Palazzo Spinelli per l’Arte e il Restauro), workshop experience in which to experiment firsthand with traditional work techniques.
Each course has different itineraries for adults and for children so as to involve all the participants.
Participation was much higher than expected: 70-100 people were estimated to sign up, instead there were 145 subdivided as follows:
65 people participated in the course C’era una volta un pezzo di legno (Once upon a time there was a piece of wood)
80 people participated in the course D’oro e d’argento che pesan cinquecento (Gold and silver that weigh five hundred.)
Thanks to the contribution of the Ente Cassa di Risparmio, participation in the courses was completely free for the families.
The success of the initiative was repeatedly attested by the participants, both verbally and by written letters.


Ms. Elisabetta Nardinocchi
Director of the Museo Horne
info@museohorne.it