Adams County Arts Council explores Italian culture and cuisine in two upcoming event

(3/15) The Adams County Arts Council, in partnership with the Italian Studies department at Gettysburg College, will offer two events in April exploring the rich culture and cuisine of Italy. Both events will take place in the Reception Gallery at the Arts Council’s Arts Education Center, located at 125 South Washington Street in Gettysburg.

On Friday, April 12, beginning at 2:30 P.M., Neal "Nello" McTighe will present "From Renaissance Philosophy to Tomato Sauce: An Italian Entrepreneurial Tale." McTighe, owner and founder of the Nello’s Italy premium pasta sauce company, will share his love of Italian culture, his experiences in founding his company, and a demonstration of how to prepare an authentic Italian-American dish using his sauce.

McTighe holds a doctorate in Italian Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has years of experience teaching Italian language and culture. He is also the founder of the Italian language and culture website, nellositaly.com. McTighe’s Nello’s Sauce, based on a family recipe, is gluten-free, vegan, and low in salt and sugar. It is growing in popularity since it came to markets in the Southeast in early 2011.

On Monday, April 29, from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M., Italian-American chef and food journalist Monica Sellecchia will present "Where There’s Food, There’s Love: Italian Cuisine and Vegetarian Living." Sellecchia will describe the process of discerning her career as a chef and food writer, then will prepare a favorite recipe that allows participants to experience the vegetarian side of Italian cuisine. A varied selection of Italian wines will also be available for tasting during this event.

Sellecchia, who holds a degree in both journalism and Italian, runs the vegetarian Italian food blog, LaVegetariana.com. "I see my mission as helping others understand what it means to be an Italian vegetarian and how simple, tasty, and most of all, healthy it can be," she says.

Brandon Essary, Ph.D., a visiting assistant professor of Italian at Gettysburg College, hopes that members of the Gettysburg community will participate in both events. "I’ve been looking for venues for people in the College community as well as the broader Gettysburg community to explore Italian language and culture," he says. "When I saw the kitchen at the Arts Council, I thought it would be an exciting venue."

"As a professor, I believe it’s important to share what you’re doing with the community," he adds. "It’s a part of our broader mission to bring the arts—whether culinary or linguistic—to the fore, to make these things accessible to the community. So I wanted to present the opportunity for the community to speak with fascinating, motivated people involved with the Italian culinary scene."

Pre-registration is required for each event, and an admission of $20 will be charged, to benefit the Italian Club at Gettysburg College. Space is limited, so please call the Adams County Arts Council at (717) 334-5006 to reserve a place.

For more information about these events, other upcoming Arts Council events, art classes at the Arts Council’s Arts Education Center, and other news and events from the Adams County Arts Council, please visit www.adamsarts.org or call (717) 334-5006.

The Adams County Arts Council’s mission is to cultivate an arts-rich community.