The Michelangelo Experience Tour
Michelangelo is widely considered the greatest artistic genius that ever lived — a man whose name has become synonymous with the word “masterpiece.” He was born Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni at Caprese, Italy and grew up in Florence, home of the Italian High Renaissance. It was here that he received his education under the patronage of the de Medici family. His works include the world famous Pieta, David and the breathtaking frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
As an artist he was unmatched, the creator of works of sublime beauty that express the full breadth of the human condition. He left immortal works in sculpture, painting, architecture and poetry. Through this vast and multifaceted body of artistic achievement, Michelangelo made an indelible imprint on the Western imagination. No other artist has ever attained such a high level of mastery in all of these four areas of artistic endeavor.
To understand the scope and scale of Michelangelo’s work would take a lifetime, and to simply experience his work in person would require weeks of travel.
On their own, each of Michelangelo’s pieces is profound. Imagine the power they would have if they were ever assembled in one collection and in one location. This exhibition, The Michelangelo Experience Tour, does just that. Bringing together all of Michelangelo’s major works—works that span his entire life—The Michelangelo Experience Tour is the event of a lifetime.
Our vision for a full scale exhibition:
Featuring 19 of Michelangelo’s sculptures, 25 of his original drawings, and a recreation of his remarkable Sistine Chapel, The Michelangelo Experience Tour is the best opportunity the world has ever had to take in the brilliant works of humanity’s greatest artist.
Created in conjunction with the most reputable scholars in the art world and the Casa Buonarroti museum, this multi-media and Multi-sensory experience will feature Michelangelo’s greatest works, offering insight into the mind of Michelangelo and his masterpieces that will live on long after the exhibition experience is completed.
Providing the opportunity to study, explore, and pay homage to all of Michelangelo’s masterpieces in one location, The Michelangelo Experience Tour will appeal to lovers of art, the devout, and the general public at a level that will surpass the most successful traveling exhibitions of all time.
Upcoming Exhibitions
The Michelangelo Experience Tour will open at the Michelangelo Museum of Casa Buonarroti in Florence, Italy from November 9, 2010 until January 10, 2011.
In May of 2011 the Michelangelo Experience Tour intends to exhibit in Las Vegas, Nevada and then travel to Mexico City, Mexico in 2012.
Recent Exhibitions
In April 2007, a private unveiling of Michelangelo’s Pietà was held at the Casa Buonarroti museum for the Amici della Casa Buonarroti (the museum’s association of patrons). The next day, the exhibition opened to the public and received extensive publicity. The private viewing and reception was attended by distinguished Florentine art historians and administrators; among them was Antonio Paolucci, current Director of the Vatican Museums and formerly the Minister of Culture and one of the greatest living authorities on Italian art. In his many years’ tenure as Superintendent of the Artistic and Historic Patrimony of Florence, the highest supervisory office, Paolucci had innumerable occasions to collaborate with the Marinelli Foundry. Pina Ragionieri, Director of the Casa Buonarroti, praised the many contributions to Florence’s museums made throught the last century by the Fonderia Artistica Ferdinando Marinelli. Professor Detlef Heikamp, one of the foremost living authorities on Renaissance sculpture, gave a fascinating talk standing in front of the bronze Pietà. His comments on the quality of the Marinelli replica are of the highest importance.
In August of 2008, Pina Ragionieri curated an exhibition at the Schaffer Art Gallery at Syracuse University, accompanied by a 126-page book of the exhibits on tour entitled “Michelangelo: The Man and the Myth.” The exhibition was composed of works from the collection of Casa Buonarroti, including portraits of Michelangelo, a dozen original drawings by him, and one of the bronze replicas of the Pieta, which David Newren, the founder of The Michelangelo Experience, made available.
In 2009, a smaller exhibition focusing on Michelangelo’s drawings and poetry was held at the Palitz Gallery of Syracuse University’s alumni center in New York City. The bronze replica of the Pietá appeared in this exhibition, providing another memorable opportunity for the University.
Next, in August 2009, the Pietá was loaned to Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City as part of the church’s bicentennial celebration, highlighted by Dr. John T. Spike’s lecture to a large audience.
In October 2009 another Michelangelo masterpiece, The Bruges Madonna and Child, enjoyed the publicity of a private unveiling and public exhibition at Casa Buonarroti. Newspaper, magazine, and television coverage was extensive, and 108 such sources are cataloged at www.michelangelosbrugesmadonna.com.
In December 2009, The Bruges Madonna and Child arrived in Washington, DC, where it was loaned to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, which is the largest Catholic Church in North America. Once again, the unveiling was highlighted by Dr. John T. Spike’s lecture.
Currently, the Bruges Madonna and Child is located at the Knights of Columbus in New Haven, CT.