About – Ferrari Arts Foundation

Introduction

In 1964 artists Virginio Ferrari and Marisa Boccaccini married and in 1966 immigrated to Chicago from Verona, Italy. Through their companionship they raised a family of three sons, Alberto, Fabio and Marco, and created a home in Chicago’s South Side neighborhood of Hyde Park. Their home bridged two cultures and embraced the values of art in their day to day lives. Virginio’s sculptures interacted with city life providing the means to sustain the family, while Marisa’s creativity nourished and protected the family inwardly, establishing art as a positive way of living.

Continuing this tradition, the three sons have ventured into their own art practices in the visual, performance and literary arts. The Ferrari Arts Foundation was formed to hold the creative energy of Marisa and Virginio’s union and reflect it with New Ideas, New Ways, New Means and New Spaces.

The Virginio & Marisa Ferrari Arts Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization based in Chicago, Illinois, founded by the Ferrari family and directed by Marco G. Ferrari. The Foundation is organized and operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes in accord with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or the corresponding provision of any future United State Internal Revenue law and referred to below as the “Code”).

More specifically, the corporation is organized to maintain, preserve and advance the understanding and appreciation of Virginio Ferrari’s art and legacy, by providing access to his artwork, archive and resources and by developing educational and scholarly programs and community-based initiatives in Chicago, Italy and beyond.

Mission

The Ferrari Arts Foundation is a creative home and laboratory for artists, where inspiring encounters between artists, their projects, and the public can occur.

The interaction between artist, public, and our shared spaces is at the heart of our model. We view audiences as vital, active participants in the creative life of each project; at our kitchen table, we take a holistic approach to advancing inquiry, the exchange of provocative ideas, and creative experimentation within a humanistic environment.

As a result, boundaries dissolve—between artists and scholars, as well as among members of our communities—as we foster new works into public consciousness and engage in transformative dialogues.

Vision

In the Ferrari Arts Foundation, we view art as a vehicle for igniting inquiry and imagination: for exploring the relationship between form and content; for illuminating the psychological parallels between the individual and the collective; for examining our place in today’s social, political, cultural, and natural environments; and for celebrating the power of the unique voice.

We hold the role of the artist in today’s society as essential and recognize that it can be lonely work. We nurture artists’ perseverance, support the evolution of their skills as they pose vital questions, and wholeheartedly affirm all those courageous enough to grapple with the questions that follow.

Because there is a deepening divide between art, the public, and our shared spaces, our aim is to bring them into communion with one another—to curate interactions so that these relationships can be bridged, dialogues can be inspired, and new insights can be formed around the central question: how can art bring healing and wholeness for all?

Values

I. Family
We are an organization born out of a family of artists. We honor the lineage of our family’s work, celebrate the work of artists past and present, and critically examine the role of art in culture as it evolves across generations.

II. Environment
Through creative works, we seek to hold up a mirror to the interrelationships of humans, nature, and our decaying urban landscapes. We view humanity as part of nature itself, and through site-specific projects, we aim to facilitate dialogue regarding the ethics of our actions as they impact Mother Earth.

III. Friction
In a society suffering from hyper-individualism, corporate consolidation of power, an over-reliance on technology, and an incessant, market-driven competition for viewers’ attention, art is the antidote: the discourse around differing interpretations of art may lead to discomfort or dissent, but, when handled with respect, it is vital to individual growth and the strengthening of community.

IV. Inquiry
We strive to amplify the voices of a diverse range of artists who raise healthy social critiques, inspire hope, and catalyze meaningful action.

V. Expression
We believe that, with artistic expression, the process is as valuable as the final result. Through process, we claim the space and time to imagine; develop an appreciation of craft in relation to form and material; explore new methodologies; and create, regardless of the pressures of the marketplace.

Team

Director & Curator: Marco G. Ferrari
Graphic Design: Alberto Ferrari
Writers: Fabio Ferrari, Kristina Valada-Viars
Web Design: Ryan Ho
Consultants: 3W
Past Assistants: Benedetta Annecchini; Lavinia Giardina; Barbara Greco; Sabrina Italia; Andrea Cincotti; Gabriel Stein; R. Alessandro Turchioe

Board Members

Introduction

Mission

Vision

Values

Team

Board Members

History

In Loving Memory of Marisa Boccaccini Ferrari

Virginio Ferrari – Biography

Foundation – Context