The American Academy in Rome is one of the leading American overseas centers for independent study and advanced research in the arts and humanities. Each year, through a national juried competition, the Academy offers up to thirty Rome Prize fellowships in eleven arts and humanities fields. These Fellows (designated on the completion of their term as FAAR) are joined by a select group of senior scholars and artists as Residents (RAAR) invited by the Academy. Also working in the community on academic and artistic projects are US and international affiliate program members (Affiliated Fellows), and a number of Visiting Artists and Scholars.
In an initiative spearheaded by AAR Director Christopher S. Celenza, FAAR’94, the American Academy is working to revise the system by which Fellows, Residents and affiliates in the scholarly and artistic disciplines gain access to local expertise while they are in Rome. That has led to the creation of the new designation AAAR—Advisors of the American Academy in Rome.
A word of explanation. Up until the current year, the Academy has relied on a small number of liaison positions (specifically in the arts and archeology). However, instead the Academy recently has assembled a flexible network of arts and humanities Advisors (including veteran liaisons) to whom this community can turn for information and guidance.
This network includes scholars, artists, writers, galleristi and others—all based or largely based in Rome—whom the American Academy is engaging generally for their high level of accomplishment and good counsel, and in some cases also for specific projects.
Below is a list (still in formation) of the inaugural Arts and Humanities Advisors to the American Academy in Rome for the 2010-11 year.
Cinzia Abbate: Architecture
Jeffrey Blanchard (FAAR‘79): Renaissance and Baroque architecture
Piero Boitani: Literary criticism
Maurizio Campanelli: Latin literature and philology
Alberta Campitelli: Italian villas and gardens
Patrizia Cavazzini: Baroque art and architecture
Luciana Festa: Conservation
Pepi Marchetti Franchi: Contemporary international art and art galleries in Rome
Sebastiano Gentile: History of philosophy
Claudia La Malfa: Renaissance art
Peter Benson Miller: Contemporary international art and art galleries in Rome
Lorcan O’Neill: Contemporary international art and art galleries in Rome
Gianni Ponti: Archaeology
Tuccio Sante Guido: Conservation
Alexander (Sandro) Stille: Reporting on contemporary Italy
Richard Trythall (FAAR’67, RAAR’71): Musical Composition
Carlo Vigevano: Architecture
Lila Yawn (FAAR’98): Medieval studies
Kevin Walz (FAAR’95): Design arts