California

From the flyer — “Master Italian mask makers transform Halloween”

Masks are creations of fantasy and make-believe; they act to disguise our perception of the everyday. Masks are created by every society. In Italy, they have had a long history and have been used for theatre, ritual, and festivals. They are still used for performances of the commedia dell’arte, a type of street theater, and carnivale, a celebration that takes place before the lenten season.

The Alice le Maschere mask-making studio in Florence, Italy, produces some of the finest masks being made today. Many of the masks and two of the mask-makers will be in San Francisco to help us celebrate Halloween!

Masks from the Alice le Maschere Studio

Exhibition at the Museo ItaloAmericano, October 5 – November 13. On exhibition will be commedia dell’arte and carnivale masks, as well as fanciful, non-traditional kinds. Fort Mason Center, Building C, San Francisco.

Mask sale and reception

Tuesday, October 11, at the Museo ItaloAmericano. Museum-quality Alice le Maschere masks can be purchased. There will be refreshments and a masked performance by dancer-choreographer Luigi de Gregorio and Odile Drouard.

Mask workshops at the Exploratorium

Wednesday, October 26 – Sunday, October 30. Two master mask-makers from the Alice le Maschere studio will conduct five days of workshops. The artists will start with plaster molds and will show the papier-mâché casting of many masks, from howling satans to grinning harlequins.

The workshops are made possible with the support of the California Arts Council and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura.