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Caroline Cocciardi
Celebrating the Original Renaissance Man—Leonardo da Vinci
This year marks the 500th anniversary of the death of the Leonardo da Vinci. Our speaker Caroline Cocciardi is the author of a new book “Leonardo’s Knots” that highlights a little-recognized but fascinating component of his art and work--Leonardo’s placement and use of mathematically-inspired knots throughout his art. Ms. Cocciardi will provide us with some insight into the importance and greatness of da Vinci as as the story of the hidden messages conveyed by knots that appear in the artist’s most famous works, Mona Lisa and The Last Supper.
Caroline Cocciardi writer and filmmaker began an independent study on Leonardo da Vinci, while living in Rome. Her 20 year research lead to a da Vinci discovery.
Overlooked for centuries yet visual to the naked eye Cocciardi detected that the minute interlocking embroidered knot pattern on Mona Lisa’s dress deviated from the decorative embroidery of the day. The Mona Lisa Knot was a mathematical pattern based on its angular crossing patterns.
In the process of looking in Leonardo’s codices for his preliminary sketches of The Mona Lisa Knot, she discovered he had dedicated a lifetime to his knot art works. Her newly released art book, “Leonardo’s Knots” will introduce you to a facet of the Renaissance painter that was overlooked for centuries yet was present in his artworks: his passion for intertwining knots. She has lectured for many institutions and museums about Leonardo da Vinci’s knot art.
In 2009, Cocciardi’s documentary, “Mona Lisa Revealed” was featured at the Carmel Film Festival documenting engineer Pascal Cotte, inventor of the multi-spectral camera that uncovered five centuries of secrets within Leonardo’s iconic Mona Lisa. Cocciardi represented Cotte’s Mona Lisa photographs in a worldwide Leonardo exhibition.
My name is Bill Schroh, Jr., and I am the new President & CEO of History/San Jose. I have been working in the museum industry for over 30 years and this will be the third museum that I have worked in my career. Over the years the museums seem to keep getting larger and larger and I am so excited by the potential I see in History/San Jose. I have been having a ball learning all about the history of California, the Santa Clara Valley and San Jose. I have bachelor’s degree from Buffalo State College and a certificate in Historic Preservation from Drew University. I am happily married to my wife Lynne, who I will be sharing our 25th wedding anniversary this October. We have two wonderful children, a daughter Emma, who will be a senior in the Fall at the University of Hartford, Connecticut and a son, Theo, who just graduated High School this June, and our dog, Darcy. I am an old movie buff, especially anything Black and White, from the 30’ – 50’. I like to go for a good run and love to hike.
President Karyn Sinunu-Towery rang the bell at 12:10 PM to begin the 5,212th meeting of Rotary Club of San Jose. She then introduced Jeremy Harris and City Lights performer Amy Soriano-Palagi singing “I’m Beginning to See the Light.”
President Karyn announced that Susan Ellenberg is Rotarian of the Month for July. President Karyn thanked the Board of Directors for welcoming us in the receiving line today. Red Badgers Ann Ravel and Karen Fox then handled the traveling microphones to introduce and welcome several guests and visiting Rotarians.
President Karyn provided some additional details regarding initiatives for 2019-2020, including the following:
- President Karyn stressed that Rotarians should generally feel free to invite friends and family to attend events and participate in projects.
- President Karyn highlighted an initiative to provide new blue badge members with copies of John Kennett’s book about the first 100 years of Rotary Club of San Jose.
- The Leigh Weimers’ Emerging Artists Awards will involve an event for the Rotary Club San Jose at the Hammer Theater.
- This year there will be a Rotarian of the Month program.
- This year there will be VIP parties for July 4 and San Jose Jazz Summer Fest.
Alida Bray and President Karyn introduced new member Bill Schroh, who is succeeding Alida at History San Jose. As part of Bill’s introduction, Mike Chiappe was provided with an opportunity to identify one false fact from among six statements about Bill. When he was unable to do so correctly (Bill is not an aficionado of Italian opera), President Karyn promptly fined Mike before inviting Rotarians to welcome Bill Shroh to Rotary Club San Jose. President Karyn then fined Mike Chiappe again, this time for evidence that he had recently failed to identify himself as a Rotarian with a Rotary pin.
John Kennett gave a brief presentation on the history of women in Rotary Club San Jose from his research for the 100-year history of Rotary Blub San Jose book project that President Karyn mentioned earlier in the program. President Karyn then presented five Rotarians with blue badges: Steve Bowling, James Williams, Ray Hashimoto, Feliberto Martinez, and Mary Papazian.
Among other ongoing initiatives and upcoming events, James Williams offered a reminder about donating used instruments for San Jose Jazz’s Progressions education program. Members are encouraged to bring instruments in any condition to the Summit Center on July 24. President Karyn announced that next week, we will recognize the 500th year anniversary of the death Leonardo da Vinci with guest speaker Caroline Cocciardi, author of the new book Leonardo’s Knots, which details the story of the hidden messages conveyed by knots that appear in the artist’s most famous works, Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. President Karyn also announced the upcoming roll out of the Rota-meter initiative.
President Karyn introduced recently elected District 4 Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg, who agreed to present on very short notice. In her capacity as County Supervisor, Susan Ellenberg serves as the Chair of the County’s Public Safety and Justice Committee and the Vice Chair of the Health and Hospitals Committee. She also serves as commissioner of First 5 Santa Clara County and sits on the boards of Joint Venture Silicon Valley and Silicon Valley Clean Energy. Prior to her election to the Board of Supervisors, Susan also served for several years on the San Jose Unified School District Board of Trustees, including as the Board President in 2018.
Susan focused her remarks on six specific ways to serve social justice and civic engagement: (a) philanthropy; (b) volunteer service; (c) social activism; (d) political advocacy; (e) ethical spending; and (f) peer modeling, truth in media, and compassionate listening. Susan pointed out that this last method of serving civic causes is particularly important and difficult in the contemporary environment of heightened rhetoric and political conflict. In order to be effective with this technique, Susan stressed that it is crucial to try to come to know the whole person with whom one is engaged in a dialogue.
In order to help illustrate how these modalities for social change work, Susan used some recent Rotary initiatives as case studies. She then concluded her discussion by inviting members to sign up for her newsletter (www.sccgov.org/sites/d4) and fielded several questions from her fellow members focused mainly on initiatives relating to housing issues and homelessness in Santa Clara county; jail and criminal justice reform; and her office’s new, proactive initiatives in areas relating to early childhood education and childcare.
President Karyn closed the meeting by thanking Susan Ellenberg for stepping in as a guest speaker and then adjourned the meeting by playing Chet Baker’s “Tenderly.”
Summary submitted by Jason Aleksander, Rotary Meeting Summaries Committee
Photos taken by Jeff Faulkner, Photography Committee. Click here to see the full set.
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Date: Tuesday, August 13, 1 pm Shotgun StartWalterWagner-1220420_small.jpg)
Do you have a forgotten or unused musical instrument sitting at home that could be in the loving hands of a young San Jose student eager to learn to play? Help San Jose Jazz put it to use by donating it for a public school child who cannot afford his/her own instrument. San Jose Jazz's Progressions education program provides free after-school music training and homework support to over 150 kids in six economically-challenged Title 1 San Jose public schools, grades 4-8. Your donation will enable a deserving student to learn to play your instrument and to reap the academic benefits that music training brings. Please bring them to Rotary Summit Center on July 17 or 24. San Jose Jazz is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and a donation acknowledgement letter for your instrument will be sent to you for your tax planning purposes.
