Kevin Kirkwood sits down with Italian American figurative painter and writer Melinda Borysevicz, whose work recently moved from the hilltop villages of southern Italy to the marshes of Savannah, Georgia.

After years immersed in Savannah's vibrant creative community, Melinda traveled in 2015 to a small village near her ancestral home in southern Italy. What began as a short stay became several years of living, painting, and writing in Padula, Italy.

Most recently, Melinda found her way back to Savannah, where she threw herself into one of the most ambitious projects of her career. Through two consecutive residencies, first at ArtsSoutheast, then at the Savannah College of Art and Design, she brought “Savannah Procession” to life: a two-panel oil painting, six feet tall and fifteen feet long. The work grew out of town hall gatherings in her own studio, where community members came together to share their lives, their struggles, and their hopes.

In this episode, we explore her journey between continents, the making of Savannah Procession, and what happens when an artist opens her studio to a community.

Learn more:

melindaborysevicz.com @melinbz

artssoutheast.org @artssoutheast

Follow the host:

kevin-kirkwood.com @kevinwillpaint or @strandpodcast

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Portrait by Natalino Russo @natalinorusso