Note from Kelly — I don’t usually post here what I send in newsletters, yet since it’s been a long time, I’m including the newsletter update here.
Far too long, travel tips, and a photo
Dear Friends,
It’s been far too long since my last newsletter. So much has happened — not all directly related to Sardinia and textiles, but background work and events — and each time I’ve started to prep a newsletter, another event comes. Presentations were delayed as well, with the exception of a few guild talks.
I was in Sardinia in December and January (now so long ago!) for the first time since just before the pandemic (which also now seems long ago). The trip was about re-connecting with my weaving family and friends and being with them for errands and everyday tasks, more than working towards the next film or tour I have in mind.
It was great to chat and catch up, and take weavers on adventures (a distant museum visit, a lunch in the city, visits to relatives, complicated errands, and more) since some don’t often get out of their studios. And yes, new textiles came home with me, and more are being shipped.
Before this, the new corporate work I started last year required intense ramp-up and focus, and immediately after my return from Sardinia that work got really busy, so I postponed the newsletter. (Sardinian Arts is work of my heart; I want the weavers to profit, not myself.)
Just as I was planning dates for Spring presentations, a few things happened that led to an essentially overnight decision (inner guidance!) to move house. While I have for several years been taking steps to move to Sardinia/Milano, the pandemic put a serious bend in my plans, and the move I just made was from Walnut Creek, California, to a city not so distant mile-wise yet a world apart: Santa Clara. As odd as it seems, I know this is a step towards Italy, even though the journey is like navigating the streets of a European city— sometimes you need to start off going in what seems the opposite direction when you’re walking to the basilica, the dome of which you see above the other buildings, because the streets are not always straight.
While I know the move supports the new projects I’ve had in mind for Sardinian Arts, I’m still getting caught up with myself and everyone else. I’ll be lining up some public presentations (in person and online) later this summer and in the fall. My next visit to Sardinia will be in October, and I will certainly write more before then.
Summer travel tips
If you are headed to Sardinia this summer, a few tips:
- Of course visit the handweavers listed on Sardinian Arts (see the artists’ individual pages for contact info) and remember to buy items directly from them rather than from the shops, which generally carry factory-made items but sadly market them as “handmade”.
- Try a weekend weaving class and bed-and-breakfast package with Bruna Cossu in Bosa. Bruna is knowledgable, fun, and knows much. Her home is lovely, as is the locale, and you’ll enjoy your time with her.
- Plan a day to visit Spazio Ilisso, a wonderful museum in Nuoro. They have a special exhibit coming up May through October. I won’t give anything away now but check their website and be sure to go. Ilisso also publishes singularly beautiful books about Sardinia, her arts, and her people; find the books in the museum or order online at their publishing site.
- Spend at least a few days in what I feel is the home of my heart — Gallura — at Agriturismo Tuttusoni, where the views, beach, locale, food, and hospitality are fantastic.
Enjoy and be well!
~ Kelly Manjula Koza, Sardinian Arts