PIACE (Progressive Italian American Cultural Exchange) is a growing initiative dedicated to creating space for artists, thinkers, and community members to engage with Italian American culture in new and meaningful ways. As a Brooklyn-born, NYC native, and the founder and current organizer, I am proud to work alongside a talented and passionate team who have already helped PIACE host five public meetings. This project is an extension of my own studio arts practice and a deep connection to my Italian American heritage, but it is truly a collective effort. Together, we’ve seen how Italian American identity is often flattened—reduced to food, caricature, or myth. PIACE exists to challenge that, centering overlooked narratives and creating room for contemporary expression that reflects who we are now.

Our public programs explore how language, food, ritual, and material culture shift and persist through migration, assimilation, and reinvention. Through talks, panels, gatherings, and creative exchange, we foster dialogue that is rigorous, inclusive, and grounded in lived experience. We believe cultural labor deserves compensation, so paying speakers and presenters is a core value. Covering event costs, supporting nonprofit incorporation, and expanding outreach are all essential steps in building a sustainable, accessible, and equitable organization.

By supporting PIACE, you are helping to reintroduce marginalized and overlooked aspects of Italian culture, create paid opportunities for artists, scholars, and cultural workers, build a sustainable, national chapter-based organization, and foster community without flattening identity. This work is happening now—publicly, locally, and with momentum. Your support helps ensure it continues with integrity. If you believe Italian American culture deserves more than caricature, if you value artists and thinkers being paid for their work, and if you want to support community-driven cultural infrastructure, please consider donating and sharing this campaign. Every contribution—large or small—helps us build something lasting. Thank you for being part of this effort. — PIACE