U.S. Mission to Italy and the Phillips Collection Collaborate with Italian Museums

THE U.S. MISSION TO ITALY AND THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION COLLABORATE WITH MUSEUMS ACROSS ITALY TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN AUDIENCE AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

May 2, 2022

Supported by a grant from the United States Embassy to Italy to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in museums, professionals from The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC will conduct a week of collaborative workshops from May 2 - 9 with Italian contemporary art museums in Turin (GAM - Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea), Rome (Museums of the City of Rome), and Naples (MADRE). The program builds on a key priority in our cultural diplomacy to increase exchanges between U.S. and Italian museums following the G20 Culture Ministerial hosted by Italy in Rome in July 2021.

During the in-person workshops and discussions, community members, university students, and museum professionals in Turin, Rome, and Naples, will investigate universal themes of identity, community, and global connections. Participants will explore how design thinking can encourage creative problem solving, innovation, and collaboration in the development of programs and exhibitions and learn practical strategies for integrating the arts into museum programs through a human-centered lens that values diverse backgrounds and experiences.

"Fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are fundamental to our educational and cultural exchange programs," noted Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Thomas D. Smitham. "Experiencing art opens the mind and heart and fosters empathy for the experience of others. Art sparks the imagination and can bring people from different backgrounds together in conversation. But for this to happen, our cultural institutions need to be accessible to everyone, and we need to work together to reach new and underserved audiences, people who might not be aware of the cultural and educational opportunities museums offer. So, it is great to see American and Italian museum experts working together on an outreach project like this one."

For more information or to arrange an interview with the representatives from the Phillips Collection please contact:

For Rome: Ruth Newman, Assistant Information Officer, U.S. Embassy Rome, [email protected]
For Naples: Karen Schinnerer, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Consulate General Naples, [email protected]
For Turin: Anthony Deaton, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Consulate General Milan, [email protected]

By U.S. Mission Italy | 2 May, 2022 | Topics: News | Tags: Italian Museums