Mary Whyte (b. 1953) is an American figurative artist known internationally for her watercolors of contemporary people. Her works are in private, corporate, university and public collections nationwide, and have been featured in numerous media outlets including CBS Sunday Morning, PBS and NPR. In 2013, Whyte was one of ten artists worldwide invited to travel to China and exhibit her watercolors at the Nanning Art Museum in Nanning, Guangxi.
The author of seven books including We the People: Portraits of Veterans in America, Whyte’s work has also been featured in many international publications, including periodicals and books in China, Russia, France, Germany, Canada and Taiwan.
She is the recipient of numerous awards including the Portrait Society of America's Gold Medal, the Carolinas Freedom Foundation’s Freedom Award, and the South Carolina Governor’s Award for the Arts, South Carolina’s highest honor in the arts.
Whyte received the 2020 National DAR Medal of Honor and the 2020 NSDAR Women in the Arts Award. In 2021 Mary Whyte received an honorary doctorate degree from Converse University in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
In 2019 Whyte founded the Patriot Art Foundation as a means to honor and inspire veterans through the arts.
Mary Whyte website: http://marywhyte.com
Patriot Art Foundation website: https://www.patriotartfoundation.org
For more information contact Sharon Crawford.
*PLUS BONUS COMPANION PACKAGE for non-painters with Piero as your guide: opportunities to explore surrounding historical villages, horseback ride, golf, visit the seaside, nearby festivals or just drink with the locals! ****Non-Painter discount of $250
$4399 per person ($800 fully refundable deposit*)
May 19-25, 2024
Book Now to save your spot!
Terms and Conditions, including our refund policy, are located on the Book Your Tour page.
Dates and pricing
Private transfer to and from the Brindisi airport, BDS airport (*see time stipulations)
6-night accommodation, breakfast included at https://www.borgoterra.com/
6 dinners & 5 lunches - beverage included
Welcome Aperitif with the artist
Private pottery class
Private wine and olive oil tasting
Private guided tour of Lecce
Boat day trip and lunch by the seaside
Opportunities to meet local artists and artisans
All activities for “non painters” included in the itinerary
Exclusive week-long class with Mary Whyte
Week-long private guide with Certified International Sommelier
whats included
2024 itinerary
*** BUFFER DAY OPTION - Day 0
(not included in the itinerary)
In our commitment to making your traveling experience to the Puglia region as easy and convenient as possible, your host, Piero Pagliardini, could meet you personally at the Fiumicino airport in Rome the day before (Saturday 18th May), fly with you to Brindisi on the 19th and escort you to the Hotel at https://www.borgoterra.com/
Day 1
- Brindisi BDS is the meeting point for arrival on the 19th of May (*see time stipulations) and transfer by bus to the Hotel.
- Take time to settle in, unpack and explore before we all meet up. The hotel is totally immersed in the Martano village life, unspoiled by time.
- Mary and our host, Piero Pagliardini, will welcome you over drinks and give an overview of the week to come. Then pizza time! Enjoy the best pizza in town in an authentic Italian pizzeria. End the night with a stroll, a nightcap, and a good night’s sleep.
Day 2
- Wake up to the smell of pastries and espresso. Enjoy a local breakfast at the hotel followed by our first full studio day painting class with Mary and landscape session.
- Break for a light lunch in the village center (aka in Italy – two courses only).
After lunch, time to relax or work independently on your project, followed by afternoon studio class with Mary.
- After class, we will explore village life, the “Antica Terra” charm. Learn about Martano’s traditions, spanning over centuries, including its castle, the old Palazzos and the fascinating Menhirs.
Non painters will have the opportunity to discover the Grecìa Salentina: scenic drive to visit nearby villages, to sit with the locals for an espresso and gelato. With Piero you will never get bored!
- Time to relax then group dinner at one of the best restaurants in town!
Day 3
- Enjoy a local breakfast of cappuccino and pastries (or pasticciotti) at your hotel.
- Morning studio time with Mary.
- Non painters will venture out for a visit of the Trulli, the traditional dry stone huts with a corbelled roof. We’ll go to visit Alberobello. (1 hr drive)
- Break for group lunch in town followed by down time to rest or work independently on your project.
- Private Lecce stone class in the afternoon to create a fantastic memory of your journey in Puglia.
- Dinner
Day 4
- Grab your swimsuit and sunscreen: a boat day trip to the seaside is awaiting you!
Enjoy the marvelous sea in Puglia: this unpolluted and crystal clear water will take your breath away. We will be able to explore the coastline from an other point of view, while sipping a nice glass of wine, and taste outstanding grilled fish made by the local fishermen. Then, time to unwind on a sandy beach, with a gelato or an aperitif.
- Dinner in town
Day 5
- Enjoy a local breakfast at the hotel (have you tried the pistachio pastries yet?), followed by a private guided tour of Lecce.
“Lecce may be called the Florence of the Baroque. In this artistic tendency in Italy, there is nothing that can be compared.” This is how that the historian Gregorovius described Lecce.
It’s a minor Baroque masterpiece, built of a limestone called pietra leccese, that glints gold and cream in the sunlight and that will fascinate you.
- After a traditional lunch, afternoon figure during an off-site landscape session in the city centre with Mary.
Non painters free time to explore the city.
Return and relax.
- Dinner.
Day 6
- Leisurely morning and breakfast at the B&B.
- Full studio day with models. Usual break for lunch then return to the studio for your last class with Mary! We will finish up our paintings and review lessons shared.
- Non painters will visit a typical masseria, where olive oil, wine and other traditional Apulian products are produced. You will taste them all and try to decide which one is your favorite!
- Afternoon free time to pack at the hotel.
- Meet that evening for a farewell dinner where we will raise a glass (or two, or three!) to our week in Puglia. Cin-cin! Cheers! And a warm salute until next year!
Day 7
- Departures (*Please arrange departures for after 4:00 p.m.).
Time Stipulations:
- Pick-ups at BDS Brindisi airport will be offered between 12:00-3:00 p.m. In order to arrive for your flight with ample time, we recommend scheduling departing flights after 4:00 p.m.
- Pick-up and Departures from other locations, or at times outside these parameters can be arranged at an additional fee.