A Special Appeal for a Special Friend

A recent show of Filippucci’s “Flowers for Ukraine” series

Have you ever been through periods in life—months, even years—when the hounds of hell seem to come down on you all at once? Medical problems, family woes, legal troubles? When these beset a friend, the impulse is, of course, to offer a sympathetic ear and maybe a check, but in this case, I wanted to do more, and so I am appealing to you via Substack.

I first became friends with Sandra Filippucci through artist acquaintances in Santa Fe, most likely toward the end of 2018. I was intrigued by her story—she is the only visual artist I know who has dedicated 30-plus years to a single subject, Joan of Arc—and I wanted to learn more. We did an interview that covered her history, from her training as a scientific illustrator through her years as a successful freelancer for publications like Sports Illustrated and The New York Times to her discovery of Joan when she was in Normandy, France, pregnant with her son. You can read more in my profile for Vasari21 here.

We’ve been supportive of each other even after she picked up stakes to move closer to her family in Connecticut, and she was instrumental in “birthing” the Wright, especially as we worked on two catalogues for benefactor Ira Wright.  The move seemed to unleash a whole new vein of creativity when she started combining large-scale prints with a painterly gestural style. She shipped two works to show at the gallery’s opening exhibition, “Explosive Abstraction.” Believe me, they are stunning.

And then bad luck put a halt to her progress. She contracted Covid, then long Covid, then kidney complications. Worst of all, a long-promised substantial inheritance, which would have allowed her to put aside her website-design business, has been gutted by the estate’s original lawyer. She got this news on Monday, the same day she underwent an operation to repair a damaged knee. And now the legal bills are mounting as her bulldog of an attorney goes after this guy with a forensic accountant to find out where the money went.

Get the whole story here

I’ve helped people pull together fundraisers, but I’ve never reached out to my own supporters on someone’s behalf. It’s always hard to ask for money—I had a tough time when I was launching Vasari21. But if you believe in a cause, it’s a moral obligation to help. She is such a special person, and such a terrific artist. I hate to see her facing so much hardship.

So I wanted to spread the word, and I hope you will click this link to donate. Anything helps, and $300 to $500 will earn you a limited edition print from her “Joan” series. It’s just a really good thing to do.

Another from the “Flowers for Ukraine” series: Where the Children Were I, mixed media on rag paper, mounted on custom panel, 60 by 40 inches