By Tom Cesarini | Little Italy Heritage

Our local community has a long-standing tradition of the Italian-American influence, and Convivio has been a leader in preserving and advancing the Italian-American cultural narrative in our community.

Unity of purpose, mutual respect and collaboration have long served as prime tenets of Convivio since its inception.

We are privileged to work with many like-minded groups in San Diego to promote the arts and culture of our region and our recent partnership with the Little Italy Association highlights the importance of collaboration: Through the Amici House, the cottage that serves as the new Italian cultural and historical hub, Italians and Italophiles now have a central spot in which to engage in all things Italian.

We wholeheartedly express our gratitude to the Little Italy Association for its vision and hard work as well as its support for this new initiative in the Little Italy neighborhood, which will serve as a vital link between the Italian contributions of the past and the ever-evolving Italian cultural influence of today.

Amici House Programs

(Launching this month!)

The Italian School: Donation-based, no-fee, no-money-up-front Italian classes!

Our method uses complete immersion in the Italian language through role playing and multimedia presentations. Throw away your notes and jump right in! You will naturally develop speaking and comprehension skills in a fun and nurturing environment.

Convivio Canvas: Our learn-to-paint series.

Convivio Concert Series: Launching with Open-Air Arias, an opera-in-the-park exclusive.

Films al Fresco: Outdoor screenings of Italian and Italian-American cinema classics.

Shoebox Nights: Heritage-preservation-through-digitization workshops.

Convivio calendar  of events

Convivio Communitas Award for Leadership: March 21

This year’s award recipient is Ann Navarra, co-owner of Jerome’s Furniture, for her commitment to a multitude of business, academic, and civic projects in our community. Award ceremony and roast co-sponsored by the University of San Diego.

Italian Heritage Weekend: May 31–June 2

A celebration of Italian heritage through sport, music, education, food, and friends — all leading up to Italian Republic Day (June 2)!

May 31: Italian American Heritage Night at Petco Park with the San Diego Padres.

June 1: The Mario Cuomo Scholarship Dinner and Concert.

June 2: The Concert for Shelter & Culture featuring Sal “The Voice” Valentinetti.

You can find all our program information on our website at conviviosociety.org. Stay connected through Facebook and Twitter @conviviosociety.

— Tom Cesarini is the executive director of Convivio. Reach him at [email protected].