An annual "New York Prize" (Premio New York) has been established by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Academy for Advanced Studies in America and the School of the Arts at Columbia to allow two promising young Italian artists to spend one or two semesters working in New York.

The first two artists will arrive at Columbia in September 2002 and be in residence through April 2003. The prize is intended to encourage the exchange of ideas and create a sense of community between Italian artists and New York contemporary artists.

"We hope that the establishment of the prize will not only be fruitful for the art and art-related community of promising and vibrant Italian artists, but we also hope to open new avenues for the artistic community here in New York and for the students at Columbia's School of the Arts who will be working with these young artists," said David Freedberg, director of Columbia's Italian Academy for Advanced Studies in America.

Intended to further stimulate cultural relations between Italy and the United States, the agreement was signed this past September through a videoconference taking place in Rome and New York. Present at the signing ceremony were Ambassador Umberto Vattani, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Italy; Francesco Aloisi De Larderel, Director General for Cultural Cooperation; Jonathan Cole, Provost and Dean of Faculties, and Freedberg.

The artists will spend one or two semesters at the University in offices provided by the Italian Academy and receive studio space at the School of the Arts as well as a monthly stipend to cover living expenses.

With the program set for fall 2002, a competition will be held in the coming winter. A jury, which will review the portfolios and proposals, will be composed of Dean Bruce Ferguson of the School of the Arts and Freedberg, along with a representative of Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other senior cultural officials on the prize committee.

The prize grew out of a conversation between Vattani and Freedberg earlier this year in which the ambassador noted that in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when Rome was the cultural capital of the world the most prestigious prize for young gifted artists was the Prix de Rome; accordingly, now that New York has become the center of the artistic world, it was time to establish a Premio New York, or a New York Prize. Vattani's first point of reference was Columbia, and in particular its Italian Academy and the School of the Arts.

"The idea behind the prize is to provide the most promising young Italian artists with the opportunity to interact with the vibrant New York artistic community, and it is significant that it is taking place here in New York, because it is the greatest cultural center in the world. This prize also offers members of the School of the Arts the opportunity of understanding better the Italian and, in turn, European artistic scene," said Freedberg.

Established in 1991 to facilitate the cultural, scientific and academic exchange between Italy and the United States, the Italian Academy promotes advanced research in all areas relating to Italian history and society and presents distinguished examples of culture and art. Columbia's Academy is the only university research center in the country dedicated to advanced Italian studies in all areas relating to Italian culture and society.