A Sicilian native, photographer Giuseppe Leone knows his land and his people. That's what makes the exhibition of his photographs of Sicily so interesting. "Sicily -- Baroque Imagery and Religious Celebrations" opens to the public Wednesday, Nov. 12 at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago Ave., and runs through the end of the month.
The exhibition, curated by Giovanna Pennacchi and organized by Acta International Gallery and the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago, is sponsored by the Italian Consulate General in Chicago.
Leone, who has collaborated with the great literary and journalistic voices of Sicily, including Leonardo Sciascia and Gesualdo Bufalino -- was born in Ragusa and he continues to live and work in the city on the southern edge of the island.
Thanks to his narrative photography that digs deep into the heart and soul of the island -- according to the exhibition's brochure -- Leone has been called "Sicily's storytell; narrator of its monuments, festivals, customs -- in short, of Sicilian life. He is a kind of enchanted wanderer, perhaps the last to grace our island."
Eighty of Leone's photographs tracing the religious life of Sicily can be seen at the ICC from 9 a.m. through 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Consul General Alessandro Motta launches the show at a special invitation-only reception at 6:30 p.m. on the eve of the opening of the show.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
