CLAUDIA BERNARDI

CLAUDIA BERNARDI

Dance, daily movement fuel work of international visual artist Claudia Bernardi

By Dawn Medley

The first visible brushstrokes guided by Claudia Bernardi in our community appeared in 2007 on a long, exterior facade at the former site of Newtown Baking on West Beverley Street.

Then came the vibrant hues of a collaborative mural on the Spencer Center for Civic and Global Engagement at Mary Baldwin University.

A few years later, Bernardi worked with schoolchildren to transform an unassuming roadside wall in Waynesboro into a dramatic, yet playful, expression of togetherness and hope. For more than 15 years, the momentum of those projects has continued to expand.

PAINTING THE PAST FOR A BETTER FUTURE

What most people don't realize is that hardly any of the painting in the murals is done by Bernardi herself.

A native of Argentina, Bernardi is an internationally recognized artist in her own right - working primarily in the medium of fresco on paper. But her role in community-based projects is to be a conduit for others to express themselves while often working through difficult memories and challenging present-day situations.

Through conversations, observations, and preliminary sketches, she empowers participants to illustrate their stories. It is all part of the process she affectionately calls "art in community."

"We [referring to the 'Mural Chicas,' a small group of Salvadoran women with whom she has worked for decades], don't come into a place and announce, 'this is what we're here to paint,'" said Bernardi, who was first invited to Mary Baldwin as a visiting lecturer in 2006. Soon after, she was asked to serve as artist-in-residence on campus, where she served on the faculty for 15 years.

"We wait for a community to ask for our presence. Quite often it happens because someone in that community sees a need for peace-building, unity, or healing," she explained.

In the years since she was introduced to the Shenandoah Valley, Bernardi has worked in concert with diverse populations to create murals at nearly a dozen local sites, including Staunton's Booker T. Washington Community Center, the Shenandoah LGBTQ Center and James Madison University's Center for Global Engagement.

Although her international travel has picked up again in the wake of the global pandemic, Bernardi had time while in the States this summer to reconnect with a few MBU alums and local friends to guide her most recent mural in Staunton.

When the popular Salvadoran eatery, Gloria's Pupuseria, reopened at its new location in July 2022 - following a devastating flood the previous year - customers were greeted by the captivating illustration just inside the door. In scenes envisioned by owners Gloria and John Gerber and their children, patrons learned more about the family's connection to El Salvador and plans for their restaurant.

John Gerber wasn't planning on picking up a brush himself, but is now grateful he was convinced to make his mark by Bernardi and previous mural painters Hannah Scott, Susan Fenton, and Marlena Hobson.

"We met Claudia when she came by our food truck at the Farmer's Market years ago, and had many conversations about her work in El Salvador. Moving to a new location gave us the perfect opportunity to invite her to help us tell our story in a visual way," he said.

METHOD TO HER MOVEMENT

At age 68, Bernardi is also committed to daily exercise, which she sees as critical fuel for her frequently emotionally and physically demanding artistic work. She was a member of the YMCA in Berkeley, California, where she lived and worked as a professor at California College for the Arts. When she relocated to Staunton in 2016, joining the STAUNTON-AUGUSTA FAMILY YMCA was one of her priorities as a new resident.

"I am a deep believer that paying attention to the body is a good thing for the spirit and the head," said Bernardi. "I am 100% convinced that I am able to do the work that I do because I make a point to fit in physical activity whenever I can. My body is a tool in my art, and I need it to work with me in peak form so that I can do what I love and find meaning in."

For much of her young adulthood in Buenos Aires, Bernardi's physical activity was centered around intense dance instruction and performances. She pursued her degree in fine arts and dance training in tandemfor several years.

"When the military junta came to Argentina, that changed my life - and everyone's life - in our country," Bernardi said.

The violent episode of governmental takeover that began in 1976 resulted in the "disappearance" of more than 30,000 Argentinians. It also shaped Bernardi's personal journey, solidifying her place as a visual artist and social justice activist.

She worked alongside her sister, an anthropologist, at burial sites in Argentina, El Salvador, and other countries around the world, unearthing the remains of those killed during conflicts and working to heal their communities.

Throughout Bernardi's life, dance has been a refuge. From discovering Afro-Haitain rhythmic movement as a grad student at UC Berkeley to participating in Zumba and Barre at the SAYMCA today, dance continues to hold an important place as the activity she can return to for a release and a mental lift.

"I noticed her poise, how she carries herself, right away, even though I didn't find out until later that she had trained as a dancer," said Melissa Anderson Morgan, YMCA Barre and yoga instructor.

Anderson Morgan met Bernardi when both women were faculty members at MBU. They shared an immediate connection over working in the arts.

"She continues to see herself as a student who still has something to learn in every situation," Anderson Morgan said. "She would come up to me [after Barre] with a question about positioning or a very keen observation, and we got to know each other more that way."

"I would describe her as a genuinely humble, authentic person," she added.

Recently, Bernardi has discovered an affinity for Fit for Life classes, crediting Group Fitness Instructor Cathy Leonard with creating a lively and challenging environment that she can't wait to get back to each week.

"The body can move fluidly and naturally, or it can become very stiff and uncooperative," she explained. "I still find myself in awe when I go to class and I can move and see others around me moving in unison. I think the way that we can 'trick' our bodies in conjunction with other bodies that all believe movement is important is how to find true happiness at my age!"