Open City Leader
Internationally exhibited artist and designer Claudia Palmira is certified in experiential and art therapy. Based in Rome, Italy since 2006, Claudia created her eponymous art and design studio in 1997, soon after graduating Mount Holyoke College (MA). She is author of the forthcoming book Micro Daily Practice (CPB 2024).
She founded Open City experiences, following the success of her initiative, Restart Retreats, the first English psychodramatic retreat in Italy. Certified by the College of Creative Arts Therapy, Claudia receives ongoing mentoring and training from Dr. Tian Dayton, a true leader in the trauma and recovery fields. She led groups on creativity, pleasure, meditation and recovery for a variety of organizations, including the renowned ICAAD conference and IES Study Abroad. Claudia is passionate about developing programs that support spiritual wellness through pleasure and creativity.
In 2021, Claudia launched Clù, a line of luxury silk scarves with her exclusive designs, which are featured at The Met Opera Shop. She is the author of Her artwork is exhibited regularly, and she continues to work with a variety of design clientele around the world through her Studio. A native New Yorker, Claudia is based in Rome, Italy where she and her husband, Mauro, are bringing up their son, Ludovico.