This February, I got the chance to celebrate Black History Month in Rome by attending an art gallery opening and a makeup demonstration. Students, leaders, and artists in the Rome community created a truly uplifting space for one another, allowing their works and stories to be shared in a meaningful way. Celebrating Black History Month in Rome was an experience unlike anything I had ever done growing up in the United States and has allowed me to gain perspectives from a broad range of identities and communities. These new experiences pushed me to think about my own background, as well as consider how modern art and music influences my identity.
The first event of Black History Month that I attended was the “What the Future Holds” art gallery opening at the Temple University Rome Campus. Though I was in an Italian class upstairs for the first part of the opening, I could feel the vibrations from the beat of the loud DJ set below me. As I sat in class, I was already immersed in the energy of the night and was getting excited to go down and see the artworks. Including a musical aspect in the “What the Future Holds” art gallery was cool to build intrigue in the exhibit while introducing music as a cultural element.
From attempting to learn instruments and singing in choirs, to attending concerts and obsessing over boybands, I have always valued music, and feel that it influences the language I use and the way that I can relate to others. There’s nothing like bonding with a friend while singing along to the radio or discovering someone is obsessed with the same artist as you.
While I think most people understand the cultural importance of music, I realized that listening to music from around the world was not a part of my education up until my anthropology class in junior year of college. The way that the DJ Set was incorporated as a part of the exhibit, not just background music, made me excited to see an integration of music and art as part of the celebration.
When I finally arrived at the gallery opening, I was pleased to see that many students, faculty, and artists had come to check out the gallery, some deeply examining artwork, others mingling amongst themselves, and overall contributing to an exciting but thoughtful atmosphere. Growing up in Massachusetts, we may have had some additional history lessons or paid our respects to those who fought for civil rights during Black History Month. I had never seen or attended a Black History Month event like this, where modern artworks and culture were on display. Studying abroad in Rome, I am constantly learning about how ancient art affects history, so it was refreshing to see artistic people come together and consider modern art as a part of cultural history. After reflecting on the “What the Future Holds” art gallery, I feel inspired to learn about the art and music of my own heritage (Indian, Irish, and Belgian).
Makeup Demonstration by a Celebrity Makeup Artist
The next event I attended was a story telling and demonstration by makeup artist and film producer Renata Di Leone, which was held in the gallery space. Renata began the event by telling us the story of how she moved to Italy as a child, later became a makeup artist, and is now fulfilling her dreams of being a film producer. I felt connected with Renata’s story due to my lifelong love of makeup, and even had the chance to get my makeup done by her for the demonstration!
Having my makeup done by a celebrity makeup artist was a very special experience for me. Since I was 11 years old, I would sneak into my older sister’s makeup stash and experiment with the different looks I could create (sorry, Olivia!). Makeup became one of my favorite hobbies during my teenage years, as I would spend hours recreating YouTube tutorials, trying everything from natural glam to full character transformation. My relationship with makeup was and continues to be an important part of my identity, as it is truly a creative outlet that lets me work with my hands and create endless results. Because I am experienced in doing my own makeup, I feel that there is a special connection that happens when I give someone else creative freedom with my face.
As Renata did my makeup, we spoke in a mix of Italian and English, and she told me that she could sense I was a “natural person,” so she decided to do a natural makeup look on me. I loved that she adapted the makeup to match my vibe, rather than coming to the event with a preconceived notion of the look she wanted to create. I loved the final look and felt so confident and comfortable in the makeup throughout the rest of my evening.
Reflecting on this event has allowed me to realize that I value makeup so much because it allows me to make very temporary and immediate statements about my identity. Through my current self-expression, Renata sensed that I was a “natural person,” but that has certainly not always been the case. I have gone through phases such as wearing long winged eyeliner every day or wearing bold lip colors back in middle school. Makeup has allowed me to ebb and flow through the different phases of my life and change my appearance accordingly without making any permanent changes, and I don’t think I would have been able to make sense of that if I had not met Renata di Leone.
Check out more stories from Culture and Identity Envoys
Check out the artists from the “What the Future Holds” gallery on Instagram:
Read “10 Nonprofits You Can Support to Amplify Black Voices in the Arts”
