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TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR MAESTRO LIVIO ORAZIO VALENTINI AND TO CELEBRATE THE CENTENNIAL OF THIS BELOVED MAESTRO AND HIS ABIDING GIFTS OF STRONG FRIENDSHIP AND LASTING INFLUENCE ON OUR STUDENTS AND ON THE STATE'S ARTISTIC COMMUNITY.
Whereas, Maestro Livio Orazio Valentini, a renowned painter and sculptor from Orvieto, Italy, lived from 1920 to 2008. He was honored with his first international exhibition on the campus of the University of South Carolina Aiken (UofSC Aiken) in November 1997. He donated his large painting, Odissea (Odyssey), which is now in the permanent collection of the university; and
Whereas, Maestro Valentini played a major role in the founding of Partners in Friendship, a multifaceted exchange program celebrating the partnership between Orvieto and the City of Aiken. Significantly, as a survivor of the Buchenwald concentration camp during World War II, Valentini focused his entire artistic career upon the themes of freedom and human rights; and
Whereas, he served as UofSC Aiken's artist in residence on four additional visits, conducting lectures on each occasion for Aiken students from elementary to high school and directing special seminars and workshops for university classes and community artists and scholars. On commission from the university, he created La Principessa nel Sole di Aiken (The Princess in the Sun of Aiken) in 1999; and
Whereas, Maestro Valentini created Galassia (Galaxy) 2000-2001, his largest and final commissioned painting for the university, now on permanent installation in the university's Etherredge Center; and
Whereas, he opened Alter Ego, his one-man exhibition at Charleston's Piccolo Spoleto in 2001; and
Whereas, in May 2003, UofSC Aiken granted an honorary doctorate of fine arts to Maestro Valentini for "his voyage and friendship and his odyssey of artistic exploration." In addition, he was granted honorary citizenship from the State "for his continuous impact and dedication to fine arts education"; and
Whereas, May 13, 2003, was officially proclaimed as "Livio Orazio Valentini Day" in South Carolina; and
Whereas, a special exhibition honoring the twenty-year relationship between Aiken and Orvieto, entitled Livio Orazio Valentini: Orvieto Heritage and Aiken Legacy, opened at the UofSC Aiken in March 2018; and
Whereas, the Associazione Livio Orazio Valentini will host an international centennial exhibition in June 2020 in Orvieto, which will include a multi-media installation showcasing Valentini's artworks owned by Aiken collectors. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize and honor Maestro Livio Orazio Valentini and celebrate the centennial of this beloved Maestro and his abiding gifts of strong friendship and lasting influence on our students and on the state's artistic community.
This web page was last updated on May 12, 2020 at 4:47 PM