Tuscany Study was founded by Steve Shaheen in 2005 to provide intensive and cost-effective workshops for artists that take advantage of the beautiful landscape, artistic heritage, and traditional artisanal workshops of Tuscany. Below are some of the people that make our courses possible:
Steve Shaheen is an artist who specializes in stone carving. He was trained as a sculptor in the studios of Mauro Berrettini, Siena, and Luigi Corsanini, Carrara. He has worked both in Italy and the United States on various projects. In 2002, he planned and executed a project to create a 100-ton marble and granite memorial to the members of his community who were lost on 9/11. In 2005 he received his MFA in sculpture from the New York Academy of Art. His awards include grants from the Ludwig Volgestein Foundation and La Fortuna Foundation. Today, Steve divides his time between New York and Italy.
Alyssa Monks is Continuing Education Faculty at the New York Academy of Art, where she teaches Flesh Painting and Working From a Photographic Reference. She earned her BA from Boston College and an MFA in painting from the New York Academy of Art. She additionally studied at Montclair State College, the New School, and Lorenzo de` Medici in Florence. She received an artist in residency at Fullterton College. Alyssa has been awarded a Grant for Painting from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation two times and has had recent solo shows in New York and Brea, California. She is curently represented by Sarah Bain Gallery in Anaheim and DFN Gallery in New York. Her website is at alyssamonks.com.
Frank L. Porcu is a painter and sculptor who earned a BFA from Pratt Institute and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art. He currently teaches anatomy at the Art Students League of New York, the New York Academy of Art, and the Muttontown School of Fine Arts. Frank has studied drawing, painting, and anatomy with Salvatore Montano, and sculpture with Alfredo Cardenas. A recipient of the James Amster Memorial Award from the National Arts Club, he has participated in group exhibitions in New York, Long Island, Italy, and Paris, France. His website is at frankporcu.com.
Piergiacomo Petrioli, PhD, is an art historian residing in Siena. He holds a PhD from the University of Turin and a Specializzazione (the equivalent of a PhD) from the University of Siena. His fields of interest include art criticism and the collection of Tuscan Renaissance art, and 19th-Century art criticism and restoration in Siena. He has published several articles and books, including a textbook about the Renaissance in Central Italy for non-Italian students titled Percorso dell'arte italiana da Firenze a Roma (2001: Hoepli Publishers, Milan).
Dr. Petrioli currently teaches at the University of Florence, the Siena School for Liberal Arts, and the Oregon University abroad Program, and has taught at the University of Siena, New York University/Florence, and Dartmouth University/Siena. His awards include a scholarship from the Armstrong Browning Library of Baylor University and a fellowship from the Roberto Longhi Foundation of Art History in Florence.
Jonathon Wolfe is a sculptor and web developer. He received BA degrees in Art and Mathematics/Computer Science from Lewis and Clark College in 1998 and an MFA in sculpture from the New York Academy of Art in 2005, where he received the Chairman's Award for most outstanding Diploma Project. He resides in San Francisco, where he divides his time between artistic pursuits and web development projects for clients such as Apple. His artwork is at jonwolfe.com, while his blog and web development portfolio are at kolossus.com.
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