Dear fellow artists, I hope you are all well and in a creative place. I know that my work has kept me centered in these difficult times, and Nature has sustained me over these many months of Covid - and seeing nature come back to life this past Spring and throughout the summer has kept me sane. Nature inspired me to finally tackle a book that has been in the thinking stages for a while, called Infiorata, a Carousel book with Pamphlet - that can be seen on my website: https://www.mariagpisano.com/?page_id=1536 The Infiorata celebrates the feast of Corpus Domini, the miracle of the Eucharist that occurred in Bolsena, Italy in 1263 and is celebrated in numerous cities, including Bolsena, Noto, Genzano and Spello. The word Infiorata means to decorate with flowers; it is a truly magnificent display of art, devotion, creativity and community involvement. Teams are made up of life long friends and family members - whether they still live in town or not. This is one day a year when they all have one purpose - getting together to create and celebrate as a community. They do not get paid for their works, time or materials, there are no prizes, it is all done for love. The designs are all actualized on the towns main roads, drawn on large sheets of paper pieced together or drawn directly on the floor with chalks. The participants spend all day on hands and knees, and the entire work must be finished by the end of the day, at which point the procession comes through and then the visitors. The Infiorata is a spiritual, sharing, healing, devotional community based celebration and cultural event, all rolled into one. The next day, all is washed and cleaned away – nothing remains. This practice is very much like the Tibetan Buddhist mandalas and Native American sand paintings. It is a sharing and giving freely of one’s gifts. The Infiorata for me symbolizes and exemplifies the virtue, appreciation and beauty of living life to its fullest, alongside the manifestation of its preciousness. 2019-2020, with the continual presence of COVID 19, when we were all separated from loved ones and friends, showed us that we as humans are not meant for isolation. This carousel book CELEBRATES the vaccines and science, alongside the beginning of some normal experiences, such as a simple hug from a loved one. Created with photos taken by the artist in Bolsena(2012) and Spello (2013). The second layer of the book showcases the many hands - from young to old - that make this event possible. In addition I’m honored to also share this news with you all: Memory Press book Hècatombe 9-11 has been chosen by The 9-11 Memorial Museum in NYC, as an ambassador to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9-11 attack on the USA, and will be featured in "And Yet We Rise: A Retrospect of the Days and Times Surrounding 9/11" exhibit at the American Consulate in London from 2021-22. Wishing you all creative days Maria Maria G Pisano Memory Press MGP Studio Arts www.mariagpisano.com Curator: Crossroads: Book Artists Impassioned Response to Immigration, Human Rights and Our Environment - Hunterdon Museum of Art - May -September 2021 - https://hunterdonartmuseum.org/crossroads-book-artists-impressions-immigration-human-rights-environment/ Memory Press book Hècatombe 9-11 has been chosen by The 9-11 Memorial Museum in NYC, as an ambassador to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9-11 attack on the USA, and will be featured in "And Yet We Rise: A Retrospect of the Days and Times Surrounding 9/11" exhibit at the American Consulate in London from 2021-22. See new books from Memory Press: Fractured: Covid 19 - Memento Mori vs. Memento Vivere - https://www.mariagpisano.com/?page_id=459 <https://www.mariagpisano.com/?page_id=459> Via Dolorosa: From Sea to Shining Sea- https://mariagpisano.com/?page_id=1391 "All history was a palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary. In no case would it have been possible, once the deed was done, to prove that any falsification had taken place." 1984 by George Orwell