C.R.E.T.A. Rome is an international centre for ceramics and the visual arts that organises artist residencies, relaunching the concept of the 'Grand Tour' to rediscover the immense cultural heritage that Rome represents. Co-founded by the American art historian Lori-Ann Touchette and the Italian artist Paolo Porelli as a non-profit organisation, its name reflects the bilingual character of the center: "CRETA", the Italian word for clay, combined with the English spelling of their city, “Rome”.
Located in the heart of the historical center, between the Capitoline Hill and the Jewish quarter, the main studio of CRETA Rome in the 16th-century Palazzo Delfini reflects the layering of the eternal city. Rising above the ruins of ancient Roman apartments, the building backs onto the Crypta Balbi Medieval museum. The 15th-century vaulted gallery space preserves the memory of St Ignatius who composed the rules of the Jesuits here. It also concealed and thus saved a Jewish family during the Holocaust.
The acronym C.R.E.T.A. spells out their main activities: ceramics, residencies, exhibitions, teaching, and the arts. The interdisciplinary program has hosted more than 200 resident artists from over 30 countries and 5 continents since 2013. Emerging, mid-career and established artists selected by an international committee converge on Rome for periods of 1-3 months. Housing in the historical center provides direct contact with Roman life and a second studio in the countryside offers the possibility of reduction firing, collaborative projects, and for artists to be accompanied by their partner and/or family.
Interaction with the local and international community is an important aspect of CRETA Rome’s mission. 8-10 exhibitions per year provide a forum for resident artists to present their work to the public as the culmination of their experience. In addition to clay, CRETA Rome has hosted fiber artists, graphic artists, painters as well as writers thereby integrating ceramics into the contemporary art sphere.