Awards In Italian Culture 2012

American Award to Brian J. Ferriso

Brian J. Ferriso
The Marilyn H. and Dr. Robert B. Pamplin, Jr. Director Portland Art Museum (Portland, Oregon) as of December 2012

Brian Ferriso is The Marilyn H. and Dr. Robert B. Pamplin, Jr. Director of the Portland Art Museum. He oversees all aspects of the Museum and its associated film center, which have a $15 million a year annual budget, a full-time staff of ca. 135, and over 18,000 members. Recent accomplishments during his tenure that began in 2006 include: the implementation of a major new exhibition and publication program that has featured important works of art and scholarship on American photography, 18th- and 19th- century French art, Italian Renaissance paintings, modern and contemporary design, Japanese prints and contemporary art; international collaborations with the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Palazzo Pitti, the British Museum, and the Louvre; endowments to underwrite admission fees for children 17 and under and school tour fees at $1 million each, and to support four senior curatorial positions at $2 million each; the successful reaccreditation by the American Alliance of Museums; the development of an institution-wide strategic plan, laying the groundwork for a $75 million capital and endowment campaign; significant investments in the Museum’s education department and their associated projects focusing on innovation; the launch of a new brand, website, and donor management system; a major collection cataloguing and digitization initiative; and the acquisition of major works by Vincent van Gogh, Rembrandt van Rijn, Gustave Courbet, Paul Gauguin, and Robert Rauschenberg, among others.

Previously, Ferriso was Executive Director, President and CEO of The Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK. While at Philbrook he oversaw the completion of a $7 million garden renovation and expansion. Prior to his appointment at Philbrook, he held various positions at the Milwaukee Art Museum (Acting Director in 2002, Deputy Director in 2003, and Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs 2000-2003). Prior to working in Milwaukee, Ferriso was the Assistant Director of the David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL (1997-2000), the Special Assistant to the Director and Associate Director of Development of The Newark Museum (1994-1997). Additionally, Ferriso is a practicing artist, using training that he acquired while studying with Frank Mason of the Art Students League, New York, NY. Ferriso’s curatorial interest is in the area of architecture and contemporary art, having curated and coordinated shows on architecture, design and European art.

Ferriso received a BA in economics from Bowdoin College, a MA in arts administration from New York University, and a MA in art history from the University of Chicago. He is a Trustee and Vice President of the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), a Trustee of the American Federations of Arts, and a member of American Alliance of Museums (AAM), and Young President’s Organization (YPO). Previously, he served as a Juror for the National Endowment of the Arts, and the American Institute of Architects National Honor Awards, and as a Site Reviewer for AAM’s Accreditation Program.

Italian Award to Antonia Pasqua Recchia

General Secretary of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities
She started her career at the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities in 1985 as Director and Coordinator Architect for actions implemented following the 1980-earthquake in South Italy.

From 1993 until 1999 she was responsible for general and administrative affairs and at the same time technician for environment and landscape protection.

From 2000 until 2004 she was responsible for archaeological heritage documentation and promotion. From 2004 until 2011 she was active in many fields of management and innovation, as well as conservation and promotion of cultural heritage, that is as general director for technological innovation and promotion (up to 2007), as general director for the archives (up to 2008), as general director for innovation, budget and personnel (up to 2010), as general director for landscape, Kine arts, contemporary architecture and arts (up to 2011). Since December 2011 up to now she is General Secretary of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities.

She has been constantly pursuing the goal of modernizing the structure and organization of the Ministry, introducing models and technological tools in the technical and administrative work. She is also involved in the main projects of digitalization of cultural heritage.

She has been Member of the Commission to update the Code of Cultural Heritage and Landscape. From 2008 until 2001 she was also coordinator at European Union level of a network on research programs applied to the protection of tangible Cultural Heritage.

She now coordinates, at the European level, an initiative of common research programs in the Kield of Cultural Heritage implemented by 18 member States, and she is representative of the Ministry for Cultural Heritage in the National Program “Research and Competitiveness” .

From May until November 2012 she was also appointed as Special Commissioner at the Museum of Arts of the XXI Century (MAXXI) Foundation in Rome.

Since January 2005, by the Minister of public infrastructures, she has been appointed Member of the Superior Council of public works.

2011, by the Minister of home affairs, she has been appointed Member of the Board of Directors of the Fund for buildings of worship.

Since January 2012 she has been coordinating the "Major Project Pompeii", a great collective commitment of different institutions and people to set about solving the serious problem of preservation of one of the most important archaeological sites in the world.

She is also Member of the Italy-China Intergovernmental Committee for the implementation of the cooperation between the two countries.

She is Vice President of the Italian National UNESCO Commission.

She participated as a speaker in more than 250 conferences, conventions, seminars and she has published over 100 publications in the Kield of history of architecture, restoration, economy of culture, geographic information systems and ICT applied to the cultural heritage, landscape and conservation.

She taught, for ten years, at “La Sapienza” University of Rome lecture courses concerning “Economic evaluation of investments in the Kield of cultural heritage”, “Landscape Architecture”, “Economy and Management of Cultural Heritage”, and “Theory and Techniques of buildings’ historic development” at the Italian University of Camerino.

Previous FIAC Awards

2012
Brian J. Ferriso
Antonia Pasqua Recchia

2011
Glenn Lowry
Rossella Vodret

2010
Malcolm Rogers
Roberto Cecchi

2008
Anne Poulet
Nicola Spinosa

2007
Phillip de Montebello
Cristina Acidini

2006
David Alan Brown
Salvatore Settis

2005
Keith Christiansen
Antonio Paolucci