Stories from Italy Part 4: Our Milan Days!

The big day of Clara's exhibition arrived. And we were so grateful because we had some issues with the shipment: they lost one of the packages, and they said they would not deliver anything until they found it. I was calm just because I started a hormone treatment that is a game-changer in my anxiety! (Girls, if you are not doing it, ask your doctor for a check-up) Thursday afternoon, they found the package, and we needed to pay an additional 150 euros. They promised to deliver it in time, and for our happiness, they did.

(Clara and Betina - Podcast recording)

Friday morning, we went to record a Podcast, and after that, I found a hairstylist to style our hair for the show. This is one of the advantages in Italy: you can wash and dry your hair for 25 euros, super fast, and it's helpful to be ready when you need to be. All three of us - Me, Clara, and Najat - did it, and we went back home.

We were waiting for my friend Anna to arrive, and I was so tired that I just fell asleep. Anna was ringing the bell, calling, and I didn't wake up. So Clara solved! She made a system to keep the door open - doors in Italy are super heavy, and once you close it from the outside, you can't come in without the key! - and went down by the stairs (she is afraid of taking the lift by herself) and opened the door. I love how she manages these things, while being aware of all the details that, for us, are not an issue.

We had a meeting before the show—which I can't talk about yet, but it's super cool! After the meeting, it was show time. The venue was completely full, and we finally saw, in person, people we're only friends with online. It was super cool!

Linus from Radio Deejay opened the night, and his speech touched our hearts. Following this, we held a panel to discuss art, sport, and disability, presented by Matteo Caccia. The panel featured Luciano Buonfiglio, president of the Italian Olympic Committee; Luca Trapanese, a single dad who adopted Alba, a little girl with Down syndrome, after she was rejected by 17 families; and Livia Cecagallina, a Paralympic athlete.

It was such an insightful conversation, in a beautiful art school - the Milano Painting Academy - with all the artworks of Clara being the highlight of the night!

We met Maurizia, Marco, and Ottavia - The Disoridnary Family on Instagram, whom we have followed for a long time, and they helped us a lot in the beginning of Clara's journey!

(Clara, Betina, and The Disordinary Family) 

We met Luisa and Maurizio. We speak a lot. It was so nice to finally meet them in person. We remember their first order. Now, they have 11 artworks by Clara! Wow! Two of my favorites are the Basquiat portrait and Casa de Papel. Now, they just got The Olympic Heart!

It is so nice to know the story behind each artwork: that they are loved, taken care of, make a party for the family, and bring lots of joy, emotions, hope, and resilience!

We met Lavinia and Stefano, friends from the heart. We met them for the first time in April 2018. She wrote to us after reading the first newspaper article about Clara, and she had the vision of doing a storytelling show about Clara with Clara's art and history to spread love, kindness, and share about inclusion!

The show is named "Parole Dipinte" (Painted Words) and in July 2018, it had its first presentation in Milan! Since then, we have had many dates between 2018 and 2020, and one presentation in Laguna Beach in 2021, where we met Adin for the first time!

Clara loves Lavinia so much, and she loves the show! She is always thinking about what she would like to add or cut from her story since it is always evolving!

Lavinia and I have a tour with this show on our vision board, and we are manifesting that it will happen soon!

We also met Antonio, who bought an original sometime ago! It was the sweetest thing. This video is online now. He made a note for Clara, and she started crying and crying with emotion!

And lots of other people who came and filled our hearts with love, hope, and the certainty that we are on the right path!

A huge thanks to Gianni Maimeri from Fondazione Maimeri, Silvia Basta from The Milano Painting Academy, who hosted the event, and Marcella Giusti, who helped us to organize it.

Saturday, we slept in and went to put all the artworks in the car to head back to Florence. You can't believe how we did without Carlo, all the bags and us. I was so proud of myself. We must say that Clara and Najat were not comfortable with neck stretching.

First stop at the house of Gerardo. Gerardo is a sweet guy we met after one interview we did with Marco Montemagno (he is like the Italian Gary Vee). He ordered three artworks from Clara, and we collaborated on some of his company's end-of-year parties. And it was so cool to see the artwork hanging in his house and speak with them. Clara even sold another one to him, and she did all by herself, The Olympic Dream, which helped us a lot because it was one less in the car.

(Clara, Gerardo and The Olympic Dream)

Then we stopped to eat a bit more pasta and ice cream and went to the Pinacoteca di Brera.

Guys, it is an incredible, amazing, breathtaking museum in the heart of Milan (please do not ask how I parked the car - it was an adventure itself).

We had the honor of being guided by Diego, the museum's communication director, and they were hosting an exhibition of Giorgio Armani's archive (super cool) alongside their archive: the Northern Italian Renaissance, Baroque, and 19th-century Romanticism styles, housed in a 17th-century Baroque Palazzo with Neoclassical and Napoleonic-era expansions. It boasts massive collections of Lombard and Venetian painters, featuring masterpieces by Mantegna, Raphael, Caravaggio, and Hayez.

It was amazing. Clara was so tired, so it was time to head back to our beloved Florence, with the promise of coming back to start our tour at the Pinacoteca in the morning, fully recharged!

Yesterday I edited more than 15 videos of this part of the Milan trip, so stay tuned on our socials to see it!

If you read until here, thank, and thank you!

We love you soooooo much!

Betina