New Rome Prize Winners and Italian Fellows met and mingled with friends of the American Academy in Rome as the sun set on a warm September evening last week. Members of the community and their families/fellow travelers gathered with staff and supporters of the Academy for the annual Opening Reception amongst the pines and olive trees of the Bass Garden and were welcomed by the Academy’s President Mark Robbins (1997 Fellow) and Director Kimberly Bowes (2006 Fellow).
The academic year has officially begun and each of the new artists and scholars are embarking on their journey of intellectual and artistic research. “This is a very exciting time for you,” said Robbins. “Remember this moment well, because your time at the Academy will hopefully enhance how you approach your work. And please embrace all that this Fellowship offers.”
In her welcome to the community, Bowes touched on some of the emotions many of the arrivals likely experienced. “This is a moment where everyone is holding their breath: what work will I do? What boundaries will I cross? How will all the unknowns work themselves out in the studio, in the library, in the study?” she said. “It’s exciting and terrifying—just like the creative enterprise itself.”
The incoming group’s diversity was revealed during the 5-Minute Presentations conducted earlier in the week. This range was heard not only in the languages spoken, but also in the projects they described—from the exploration of Aesop’s fables to Italian acoustics, from catacombs to conservation, and from prehistory to performance art. Over the next year, this dynamic international community will have the opportunity to exchange ideas and share perspectives as leading experts in the fields of ancient studies, architecture, design, historic preservation and conservation, landscape architecture, literature, medieval studies, modern Italian studies, musical composition, Renaissance and early modern studies, and the visual arts.
As a center for innovation in the arts and humanities, the American Academy in Rome provides these Rome Prize Winners, Affiliated Fellows, and Residents an unparalleled intellectual and creative environment in which to flourish. The coming year will bring with it new ideas and work, engaging shoptalks and conferences, and provocative conversations, concerts, and exhibitions.