This event is part of the series New Work in the Arts & Humanities: American Classics.

The American Academy in Rome is pleased to host a roundtable panel session at the 2017 College Art Association (CAA) Annual Conference in New York, “The American Dream of the Mediterranean: Lessons from History,” on Thursday, February 16.

Described as “the Middle Sea” or even “the Great Sea,” the Mediterranean has long been celebrated for its centrality and significance as a crossroads of everything from foodstuffs and people to religion, culture, and economic power. In the twentieth century, the Mediterranean took on a new role as a classroom of unrivaled riches for a generation of young scholars who later defined the discipline of art history in the United States. Whether working on the arts of Islam and Byzantium, Medieval France, or Early Modern Italy, the pioneers of art and architecture who took up positions at leading American universities and museums—including Shelomo Dov Goitein, Richard Krautheimer, Meyer Schapiro, Robert Venturi and Kurt Weitzmann—developed their methods and theories during formative travels along the shores of the Mediterranean.

Taking a fresh approach to the conference session format, this roundtable brings together scholars in varied fields to discuss the lessons from the Mediterranean that have informed how we see, analyze, and think about art from the origins of art history to today. As many of the art historical trailblazers considered came as refugees to the United States, where they made their careers, this panel also questions what claims can be made, if any, about an “American” style of art history. This session is organized by the American Academy in Rome as part of its 2016-17 programming series, American Classics, which investigates both the classical underpinnings of American culture and the “classic” texts, works of art and ideals that have helped define American identity.

Session Chairs

Lindsay Harris (FAAR'14), Andrew W. Mellon Professor in Charge of the School of Classical Studies, American Academy in Rome
Avinoam Shalem (RAAR'15), Riggio Professor of the History of the Arts of Islam, Columbia University

Session Participants

Dale Kinney (FAAR,'72, RAAR'97), Eugenia Chase Guild Professor Emeritus in the Humanities and Research Professor, Bryn Mawr College
Peter N. Miller, Dean, Professor of History of the Medieval and Early Modern Mediterranean, Bard Graduate Center
Martino Stierli, Chief Curator of Architecture and Design, Museum of Modern Art

Panel Session Information

Date and Time:
Thursday, February 16, 5:30-7:00 pm

Location:
New York Hilton Midtown
Beekman Parlor