New York, NY April 9, 2008, FOUNDATION FOR ITALIAN ART & CULTURE held the 2007 FIAC Excellency Awards at the Frick Collection in New York City on April 9, 2008. The Awards were made possible by the generosity of The Alexander Bodini Foundation.

EXCELLENCY AWARDS

In order to acknowledge and reward leading figures both in the United States and Italy who excel in activities relating to all aspects of Italian culture, The Foundation for Italian Art & Culture established two annual awards each amounting to $25,000 starting in 2005. The awards are given to one leading figure in the United States and to another leading figure in Italy.  Nominations and awards are made by the Foundation’s United States Advisory Board for the Italian Award, and by the Italian Advisory Board for the American Award.  In the past years, the awards were assigned to Dr. Antonio Paolucci (2005), Director of the Vatican Library, Dr. Keith Christiansen, Curator of Italian Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art (2005), Dr. Salvatore Settis (2006), Director of the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa and Dr. David Alan Brown (2006), Curator of Italian Painting, National Gallery of Art, Washington DC.  The 2007 winners are:

AMERICAN AWARD TO

DR. PHILIPPE DE MONTEBELLO

Mr. Philippe de Montebello has served as the director of the Metropolitan Museum since 1978. He is also the longest serving director in the institution’s history, and the longest-serving director of any major art museum in the world. He has dedicated his entire professional life to the Metropolitan Museum beginning in 1963 as a curatorial assistant in the Department of European Paintings. Under his directorship, the Metropolitan Museum has nearly doubled in size, notably the creation of the Carroll and Milton Petrie European Sculpture Court in 1990, the Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education, the expansion of galleries for 19th and early 20th Century European Paintings, and the installation of the Gubbio Studiolo.

He is the recipient of various awards and honorary degrees. His commitment to the promotion of Italian art & culture was acknowledged in Italy in 1988 when he was honored with the Commendatore, Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy, a high honor awarded to individuals who have made distinct contributions in the fields of literature, economy, public service, social philanthropic and humanitarian activities.

ITALIAN AWARD TO

DR. CRISTINA ACIDINI

Dr. Cristina Acidini is a world-renowned expert in art and conservation.  Early on in her career she was a visiting Member of SUNY Plattsburg in Plattsburg, New York. During her professorship at SUNY Plattsburg she was granted the Eisenhower Fellowship, which enabled her to visit more than 70 Museums in the U.S.A. She wrote about her experiences in a book called Il Mito d’Arte Americano: Dietro le quinte di un mito.  In 1991-1999 she served as the Deputy Superintendent of the Polo Museale Fiorentino.  She was also a part of the Artistic Heritage State Board, and on the committee responsible for Italian Museum Standards at the Polo Museale Fiorentino.  In March 2000, she served as the director of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, a state institution that specializes in research conservation and restoration of works of art.  She is a member of various committees in Italy and abroad for management of cultural events and symposia. From 2006 to present she has been working as the Superintendent of the Polo Museale Fiorentino.