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By Sydney Pogue
Though Florence University of the Arts may be physically located in the Renaissance city of Florence, its alumni are making a positive impact all around the world. And this July, one of those places will be at the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA.
From July 14th to the 28th, thousands of people from all corners of the world flood to this annual festival to participate in a celebration and cultivation of the arts, ranging from theater and performance to dance and the healing arts. In the category of Culinary Arts, two FUA alumni are pioneering the frontier of culinary exploration; Chefs Judy Giglia and Mario Garagosian.
Having received her Master’s Degree in Culinary Arts from FUA, Chef Judy has since then travelled the world, taking her talent with her. At this upcoming Festival, she will be instructing multiple classes specializing in sweet treats, titled “Chocolate Bon Bons” and “Fine Pastry Entremets”-- within which, she will be providing knowledge on chocolate deviations in bon bon creation along with pastry/cake making with frosting decoration, respectively.
While Chef Mario studied at FUA, he also gained knowledge in the Culinary Arts, eventually finding his skills put to use at the Four Seasons Resort in Santa Barbara, where he works currently. At the Festival, Chef Mario will be instructing a course titled “Risotto Renaissance”, where he will be teaching the students about risotto style dishes. In another course, “Armenian Cuisine”, he will be educating students on the intricacies and methods of creating Armenian food.
Both Chef Judy and Chef Mario’s undertaking in the practice of culinary artistry will not only be insightful, but beneficial to the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival. When explaining the goal and purpose of the festival, the organization explains, “The Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival’s mission is to awaken everyone’s inner artist, connecting world-class professionals to aspiring artists, and giving people who are enthusiastic about the fine arts an outlet to pursue their passions.'' In this endeavor, artists and apprentices will come together and share knowledge and admiration of art in all facets, all of which will hopefully be taken beyond the festival into the world beyond.