Earlier this week I was off to the elegant Villa Apap Bologna in Attard, the residence of the ambassador of the US and her husband Mr Gerard Winstanley. Her Excellency seems to be hatching ideas all the time and is a very active ambassador indeed. That evening we were invited to view a selection of art works by African-American artists to commemorate Black History Month.
Black History is not new to me. As part of the celebrations to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in Mauritius my late husband had published a book The Afro-Mauritians. In the first year or so of living in Mauritius I could not believe that I was also living among the descendents of former slaves; that slavery was not simply something that had happened many years ago and gone away but the descendents of those unfortunatel slaves were living amongst us and are often among the poorest of the poor. I was to see the repercussions of slavery in both the Seychelles and much, much worse in Haiti. In the States, the descendents of slaves have made enormous strides although there is still so much to be done so that more equality prevails.
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Villa Apap Bologna was once the residence of Peter Apap Bologna's grandfather Paul, Marquis of Gnien-is-Sultan. According to Peter's forthcoming book Memories 1941-1973 which will be available in bookshops next month and which everyone must read: "Villa Apap Bologna came into our family when Grandpa Paul was fourteen. His father Felicissimo, had had to give up his home at Villa Bologna (nearby by and now the home of the De Traffords) when the Stricklands won the infamous courtcase about the Bologna Primogeniture. With the help of his mother, Nonna Carmela, , Grandpa immediately set about restoring the family morale and fortunes acquiring the newly-built villa just a few metres away from Villa Bologna, and re-named it Villa Apap Bologna. It had been built by the parish priest of Attard, Don Carmelo Azzopardi, on a plot of land bought in 1894, and was called Mon Delice. Don Carmelo moved to Mdina on being made a Monsignor, and sold the villa to Grandpa Paul. Grandpa Paul lived there until his death in 1955. It was rented for some years to NATO admirals, until Amy (Peter's mother) arranged for it, first to be leased to us, and shortly after bought jointly by my brother, sister and myself from the other members of the family. We moved in in 1964 and lived there until my marriage in 1968. Amy had suggested that Annie and I should move in, but Annie quite rightly felt it was far too big for us.
Peter continues: "Desmond Morris had just published his famous bestseller, The Naked Ape, and had decided to move to Malta, which at that time offered a flat income-tax-rate of2.5% to new residents... I was asked to show the Morrises Villa Apap Bologna. Desmond and his wife Ramona took one look and decided on impulse to buy it."
But back to art at Villa Bologna which, as can be expected, is beautifully kept with not a vase out of place. It was an interesting gathering mostly of artists and art lovers. In a short introducing to the collection Her Excellency spoke about the Arts in Embassies Programme which for five decades has played a leading role in U.S. public diplomacy through a focused mission of vital cross-cultural dialogue and understanding through the visual arts and dynamic artist exchange. "The Museum of Modern Art first envisioned this global visual arts programme in 1953, and President John F. Kennedy formalized it at the U.S. Department of State in 1963. Today AIE is a public-private partnership engaging over 20,000 participants globally, including artists, museums, galleries, universities, and private collectors and encompasses over 200 venues in 189 countries. Professional curators and registrars create and ship about 60 exhibitions per year, and since 2000, over 58 permanent collections have been installed in the Department's diplomatic facilities throughout the world." Her Excellency told us.
The African-American artists showcased in Ambassador Abercrombie-Winstanley's Arts in Embassies Program are Jacob Lawrence and Synthia Saint James. The other African-American works of art displayed throughout the hall, drawing, dining room and other rooms are from the Ambassador's personal collection.
Two American artists, Marianne Ogdon and Nancy Generelli acted as guides and commented on the artists and their paintings. They certainly knew the paintings well and pointed out to us a number of details which only those whose eyes are trained would have noticed.
I had admired the work of Haitian artists when I visited that sad island so many years ago. I loved their work and had wished I had had the money to buy something larger than the two small paintings I had brought away with me. The paintings at Villa Apap Bologna too had typically bold colours and symbolic elements of the struggles the Africans who had been captured, against their will, as slaves had suffered. But many of the paintings are of an optimistic nature - one was reminiscent of a Gaugin.
I saw there something interesting which I had never seen before: Marjorie Bingham's 3D shadowbox work, which features a double image.
Among the artists are University professors, designers of awards and so on and several of the artists contribute some of their earnings to benefit non-governmental organizations.
It was a most pleasant evening rendered even more pleasant by some of the guests. The pianist Jennifer Micallef who is married to the organist/conductor etc. Wayne Marshall, was there and told me that Wayne has been commissioned to produce or maybe conduct Gershwin's Porgy and Bess in Paris, for three months.
Magistrate Scerri Herrera looks slim. She is taking part in Vodafone's half marathon today. Perhaps I should follow her example and go to the gym and now that it is Lent abstain from sweets and cakes. I bought a medium jar of Nutella in homage to Michele Ferrero, Italy's richest individual, who died at the age of 89. The question is: did he eat a great many chocolates and Nutella and if he did and lived to the age of 89 then why can't I. I promised myself a teaspoon every evening as a reward to myself but, weakling that I am within the hour, I had eaten the contents of that jar. I said an RIP to the brilliant and hardworking Michele Ferrero.
Later Peter and his first wifeand later his own family. I recall reading an interview in which he recalled the night Malta became independent on 21 September 1964. That night, his mother had given a dinner party at Villa Apap Bologna. The guests included the then new American Ambassador George Feldman and his wife Marian. And this was some 48 years ago.
Villa Apap Bologna, like Villa Bologna next door, is a prime example of superb Maltese architecture