The American Academy in Rome celebrates its 125th anniversary by opening its 2019–20 programming season with a Conversations/Conversazioni between Vatican Museum director Barbara Jatta and AAR director John Ochsendorf (2008 Fellow). Jatta will discuss her professional history with the Academy, balancing access to art and the pressures of tourism, and accommodating tradition and innovation in the Vatican Museums.

This event is free and open to the public. It will be held in English.

The discussion inaugurates a series of events centered around the anniversary theme “Encounters,” which will investigate the impact of exposure to the city of Rome, its artifacts, and its narratives.

The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation is the 2019–20 season sponsor of Conversations/Conversazioni: From the American Academy in Rome.