The Malta Society of Arts launches its year-long programme of celebrations +/to mark this important centenary.
Malta’s oldest art institution, the Malta Society of Arts (MSA), has just launched its
programme of events to celebrate 100 years at its seat, the 400-year-old Palazzo de La
Salle. During a press conference in the opulent Sala dei Cavalieri – just one of the numerous stunning spaces within the Palazzo – the MSA launched a year-long calendar of celebrations: 2023 marking the important anniversary of its permanent move to Palazzo de La Salle in 1923.
Opening the press conference, President of the Malta Society of Arts Arch. Adrian Mamo
described how Palazzo de La Salle was first established in the early 17 th century, when
Valletta was being built. The Palace was inhabited by various families, including families
related to the Order of St John’s grandmasters over its first 300 years, including the La
Salle Brothers, whose name is now mainly associated with the Palace. In 1923, Palazzo
de La Salle was given to the Malta Society of Arts by the newly-formed Maltese
government, to enable the Society to continue fulfilling its mission of promoting the arts
and crafts.
During the last ten years, the Palazzo has been rehabilitated into a state-of-art venue
that hosts classes in art, crafts and music, exhibitions, concerts, conferences, and many
more events. MSA President Mamo explained that the rehabilitation works serve the
MSA’s mission to support excellence in the fields of visual, performing and applied arts
by providing space, education and outreach opportunities.
MSA’s Vice President Roderick Camilleri commented that “this anniversary is an important marker, not just for the Malta Society of Arts but also for the local artistic community. Since its inception, the Society has worked to sustain the artistic community by supporting them in developing and establishing their artistic production. The MSA has also assisted local artists and art students to further their studies overseas, and endorsed their creative production.”
Camilleri went on to say that the programme of events involves collaborations with
numerous artists from several fields. He then highlighted some of the main events of the
programme, starting with the launch of the MSA’s new website, designed to create new
networks with different audiences, and to provide better accessibility. In spring, the
MSA will also launch an extensive publication which will shed new light on fascinating
elements and cultural layers of the Society throughout its long existence.
The Malta Society of Arts’ 100 years at Palazzo de La Salle celebrations programme will
also feature unique workshops, activities, and public lectures, including a specialised
lecture focusing on the architectural features and history of the Palazzo itself, and its
gradual development and transformation throughout the centuries. Moreover, in August and September, the Society will organise two exclusive exhibitions revolving around its
identity, memory, and legacy.
In addition to these special events, this year’s centenary will celebrate the Society’s
musical history through an exceptional and extensive musical programme curated by
Karl Fiorini. This series of concerts and free masterclasses will look at Malta’s classical
music heritage while embracing new works from today’s composers. “The idea for these monthly events came to light with the discovery of Carmelo Pace’s original handwritten
manuscript Conversazioni – Two movements for piano quartet while researching the
Malta Society of Arts’ archive last Summer,” explained Fiorini. “I also wanted to focus on
the Maltese musicians and composers who had left Malta to study abroad and then
returned to the island, because these are the artists who are currently creating Malta’s
musical legacy. I urge all music students to attend the masterclasses as these will be a
one-time golden opportunity to learn from some of the best musicians we have.”
The press conference was peppered with musical interventions by some of the
musicians forming part of the MSA’s celebrations. The Concert Hall hosted a rehearsal
for the celebrations’ first event this Thursday 12 January – Christine Zerafa’s quartet
concert – while the Courtyard echoed saxophone notes performed by Philip Attard,
whose concert is planned for 4 May. Several MSA lace students and teachers held a lace-
making demonstration in various parts of the Palazzo, while attendees also visited the
ongoing exhibition ‘Enlightenment’ by Rebecca Cassar at the Art Galleries, and the
Chapel.
