The
nonprofit museum was founded by Giuliana Nardelli Haight on August 17, 1978, above Caffe Malvina in
North Beach. The first exhibition at the museum was paintings by Paolo Emilio Bergamaschi, alongside sculptures by
Beniamino Bufano, Elio Benvenuto, and
Peter Macchiarini. Although the museum always holds temporary exhibits, it also maintains a permanent collection, including works by Beniamino Bufano,
Francesco Clemente,
Sandro Chia,
Mimmo Paladino, among others. The museum also offers a number of Italian language classes, from beginner to advanced to casual conversation classes. ==See also==