What do you think of when you think of Italian-American culture? Perhaps you think of Francis Ford Coppola’s famed Mafia movie The Godfather with its murders and extortions. Or maybe you think of the renowned TV show The Sopranos, also about violence, extramarital affairs and the struggles that come with mob culture.

This false narrative of Italian-Americans being violent and money-driven is being rewritten by artist and author Joanne Matera, with her virtual exhibition Italianità. A collection of the work of 54 artists, this show bridges the gender, age, and sexuality of those who share an Italian-American background. Their art and stories offer an amazing look at the diversity that truly exists within the Italian-American community as well as the bonds that unite them.