Director’s Report from Rome I

This Fall I have been given the opportunity to live and work in one of the great cultural landmarks of a city so full of hidden treasures. Sponsored by the Institute of Classical Architecture and Classical America, I will spend the next three months at the American Academy in Rome.

Situated high on the Janiculum Hill, the Academy has been an island of peace and privilege for artists and scholars for over one hundred years, making it one of the younger institutions in this city, which has a way of changing American perceptions of time.

During this time, I will be making studies from Roman collections of sculpture and fresco painting – with a particular focus on how these works were designed for the spaces that they decorate. It is the strength of these designs with the subtlety of their ornamentation that have united the different cultures of Pagan and Christian alike into one glorious artistic tradition that, centuries ago, established Rome as the Art Capital of the world. There are still lessons to be learned.

~ D. Jeffrey Mims