Il Bisonte
Art Foundation and International
Printmaking School in Florence
Il Bisonte is an Art Foundation and an International Printmaking School in Florence.
Il Bisonte Foundation is a historic institution deeply rooted in the local area and one of the leading protagonists of the 20th-century artistic scene in Florence.
Founded in 1959 by Maria Luigia Guaita, Carlo Ludovico Ragghianti, and Enrico Vallecchi, Il Bisonte is a unique institution in the field of art printmaking at the national level and an artistic excellence recognized worldwide. Among the most renowned artists invited to create their works in lithographic editions in the Foundation’s workshops are Picasso, Carrà, Giò Pomodoro, Scanavino, Capogrossi, Moore, Calder, Arroyo, Matta, and many others.
The Foundation covers an area of approximately 700 square meters, spread across three buildings in Florence’s historic center. It currently comprises an international school equipped with five technical workshops, an art gallery, a specialized library, a historical archive, and a current archive of donations.
The International School, inheriting the equipment, tradition, and spirit of the namesake print shop, has been operating since 1983 in the San Niccolò district, training students not only in the application of engraving techniques and processes but also in teaching them and managing a printmaking workshop.
Today, under the leadership of President Simone Guaita, Il Bisonte Foundation has expanded its offerings, fully establishing itself as a cultural and creative hub, a dynamic space for artistic education and production that merges the craftsmanship of artistic creation with the most contemporary expressive demands.
Il Bisonte is an Art Foundation and an International Printmaking School in Florence.
With its precious heritage of history, competence and knowledge, Il Bisonte is a site of international excellence for training in the field of printmaking and the meeting place for artists from all over the world.
The printmaking school in Florence, founded by Maria Luigia Guaita and placed in the most historical and suggestive district, represents one of the principal activity of the Foudation.
Here, treasures of knowledge are maintained and handed down by educating young artists to grasp the expressive possibilities of their time while respecting the noblest traditions of printmaking, adopting an open, customized, and non-conformist method of instruction.
I spent three months at the printmaking school Il Bisonte in 2001 when I was a printmaking student doing a Bachelor of Fine Art at Rhode Island School of Design and I can remember falling head over heels for it. Everything about the place, the atmosphere, the teachers, the students, the courtyard, right down to the feathers for brushing bubbles off the etching plates, made me never want to leave. In fact, thanks to the stimulating environment of Il Bisonte, where I always felt at home, I decided to stay in Florence and I have made a life and career here ever since.
Emiko Davies, food writer & cookbook author
Ho frequentato il Bisonte nel biennio 1999/2001 e per me è stata un’esperienza veramente formativa ed umanamente arricchente. Ho trovato professionalità, amicizie, passione, pluriculturalismo… una grande famiglia che mi ha aiutata a sviluppare il mio interesse verso le arti grafiche. Ho sempre consigliato a tutti i miei studenti questa bellissima scuola; permette di accedere ad un mondo davvero speciale. Seguo con interesse sui social le innovazioni e le iniziative del Bisonte: trovo che siano variegate ed al passo coi tempi, pur trattando di una disciplina tra le più antiche al mondo!
Jessica Lanfranchi Schmid, art teacher
Attending Il Bisonte was an absolute dream! My time at the school represented a unique opportunity to explore printmaking according to the traditions of the medium but also its application to a contemporary art context. The skills that I learned at the school set the stage for developing a personal practice that continues to this day and planted the seeds that would lead to opening my own studio – Smokestack Studio. The backdrop of the Firenze was culturally and historically rich and made the experience of studying at Il Bisonte wonderful beyond belief!
Laine Groeneweg, Canadian print artist
Il Bisonte è nel mio cuore sempre, ogni singolo giorno. L’esperienza lì è stata la cosa più giusta che potevo fare e lo dico a tutti! Sì, mi sono messa a lavoro subito appena rientrata, tirato su la stamperia piano piano, poi comprato un piccolo spazio. I primi due anni sono stati di esperimenti e grandi disastri per affinare delle tecniche che fossero idonee al mercato per poter anche vendere. Il Bisonte mi ha dato tutti gli strumenti e le conoscenze per poterlo fare! Sono molto contenta.
Loredana Amenta, print shop owner
In 2014 I was a student at Il Bisonte, hands down the best thing I´ve done in my artistic journey. The teachers and the atmosphere is unique and very inspiring, the dedication for art sits in the walls. You can truly feel the creativity come to life at Il Bisonte, the artworks and the techniques I got from my period there is something I use even today. I am an artist, social educator and soon to be art teacher in Sweden. I can highly recommend for anyone to go to Il Bisonte, if even for a weekend course.
Patrik Lundell, former student from Stockholm
