Fontana Shelter (a member of WestOx Arts in Bampton, Oxfordshire Artweeks, IAAF online and Nidra Art Project) proudly carries on with the art activity of Italian Painter Luigi Fontana in his loving memory. With a name evoking a sense of protection and solace, Fontana Shelter’s art is more than a collection of paintings: it’s a testament to resilience, family, and a commitment to preserving a legacy of beauty that transcends time because the memory of the glorious past is the only way to build an awesome present and a happy future. Culture is more than just an aesthetic pursuit: it’s an emblem of resilience, a reflection of how we navigate life’s challenges and practice moral virtues. Just an expression of strength and hope, a way of capturing the essence of resilience in the face of adversity. This art activity is lovely supported by DOWNTON GAZETTE cultural website. Created in 2022, that’s an eclectic platform where artwork, literary creations, theatre and music come together. Named after ‘Downton Abbey’ TV drama series (mainly set in Oxfordshire), Downton Gazette & Fontana Shelter do believe culture serves as both a “getaway” and a “gateway”- an escape that helps survive and reset, but also an entrance into beauty and truth. So this initiative is more than a passion: it’s calling! As a matter of fact, Covid-19 lockdown suggested the importance to consider culture as a form of moral expression, a shelter, a safe space to express Truth, seek Beauty, and  make our world a better place to live. And we must have faith in human beings.’- This line, from NAZIM HİKMET’s poem ‘Before Paris is burned down’, emphasizes the human element at the heart of Art truly suggesting that culture should be a proud source of Hope and belief in Humanity. In fact, Art and Culture have the sublime power to connect people across vast distances and time, and the supreme ability to transcend physical limitations. Nobody can deny that Art is a vibrant and integral part of human existence, encompassing both beauty and struggle, connection and transcendence. That’s why Nazim believed Art should be a force for change, a means of expressing the human condition, and a way to connect each other across time and space. Downton Gazette and Fontana Shelter are now focusing on the project ‘ONCE UPON A TIME-BIR ZAMANLAR’, born with the aim to allow European people to know and deepen Turkish culture and folklore through the lens of the most important and awesome Turkish cultural spots: Nidra Art Project and its fabulous fairs, IAAF and its exhibitions, and Urladam Cultural Centre with its sublime events. In short, this special project celebrates the remarkable memory of the past and builds a glorious future on it.     Website  downtongazette.altervista.org downtongazette@gmail.com