November 19th, 2024
9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. CST

Annenberg Presidential Conference Center, Hagler Auditorium, Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University, 1002 George Bush Drive West, College Station, TX 77843.

The destruction and manipulation of culture is an early indicator of a democracy in crisis. The From the Ashes: Cultural Survival and National Identity in the Age of Conflict symposium brings together leading voices  to explore the alliances, treaties, and policies designed to combat cultural destruction. Panelists will address the historic establishment of international alliances in the 20th century, examining how these frameworks have evolved; contemporary examples of threats to culture and 21st century responses; and strategies for integrating cultural preservation into future peacekeeping efforts. 

Register

Special thanks to our partners: ARS AEVI Museum of Contemporary Art; French Institute of Texas A & M; Memorial Student Center Visual Arts Committee, Texas A & M; Monuments Men and Women Foundation; Playing for Change Foundation.

Symposium

10:00am

Welcoming Statements from the Symposium Partners
Speakers: John B. Sherman, Dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service; Greg Houston, President and CEO, International Arts & Artists; Ambassador Robert Gelbard

10:30am

Panel discussion
Democracy and Cultural Destruction in Conflict and Authoritarian Rule: A Historical Perspective
Speakers: Eduardo Espina, Uruguayan Poet, Texas A&M professor; Anna Bottinelli, President, Monuments Men & Women Foundation
Moderator: Joe Golsan, Director of the French Institute, Texas A&M

11:30am

Panel discussion
Policy Discussion: US engagement in NATO, global alliances, and its impact on stability and democracy
Speakers: Ambassador Robert Gelbard

12:30pm

Break for lunch

1:30pm

Welcome back remarks

1:45pm

Keynote or Fireside chat
The Role of Public-Private Partnerships in Cultural Preservation and Reconstruction

2:20pm

Short screening from Kiss the Future

2:30pm

Panel discussion
Democracy and Cultural Destruction in Conflict and Authoritarian Rule: A Contemporary Perspective
Speakers: James Ball, Director, Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts, Texas A&M

3:30pm

Break

3:45pm

Fireside chat
Moving Forward, what is the future of global alliances and NATO
Speaker: Gen. Tod D. Wolters, Commander, U.S. European Command and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe
Moderator: Preston Stewart, social media influencer

4:45pm

Break

(music and art montage, Conspirare & Craig Hella Johnson)

5:00pm

Keynote
Title?
Speaker: Renato Miracco, Curator of the exhibition “From the Ashes: Cultural Survival and National Identity in the Age of Conflict”

5:20pm

Close

Speakers

Born and raised in Florence, Italy, Anna Bottinelli earned her B.A. in History of Art from John Cabot University (JCU) in Rome, graduating Magna Cum Laude. There, she was also the recipient of numerous accolades including the 2010 JCU Excellence in Art History Award and JCU Leadership Award. In 2011, she received her M.A. in Art History at The Courtauld Institute of Art in London, with specialization in the Franciscan and Dominican Art of 13th century Italy.

At the same time, Ms. Bottinelli began work as the lead Italian research assistant to #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Robert Edsel on his project to write about the Monuments Men and their preservation work in Italy during World War II. Her work contributed greatly to the success of Mr. Edsel’s acclaimed bestseller, “Saving Italy: The Race to Save a Nation’s Treasure from the Nazi.”

In 2014, Ms. Bottinelli accepted a full time research position with the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art, in Dallas, Texas. By 2017, she had advanced to senior leadership positions and in December 2019, she was appointed as the Foundation’s new President, succeeding its founder, Mr. Edsel . During her tenure at the Foundation, Ms. Bottinelli has overseen numerous restitutions of cultural objects to individuals and museums in Europe. She has also served as a consultant for “Hunting Nazi Treasure,” an eight-part investigative documentary that continues to air on Discovery’s American Heroes Channel, History Channel-
Canada, and Canale Focus in Italy, with additional future broadcasts planned internationally.

Today Ms. Bottinelli is considered an expert on the subject of art looting and recovery during World War II. She regularly is a point of contact for provenance attorneys seeking expert opinions on art restitution cases involving Italy. Ms. Bottinelli has close ties with the art restitution unit of the Italian Carabinieri, who have been steadfast supporters of the Monuments Men Foundation and its mission.
Ms. Bottinelli is currently based in Dallas with her husband and two little boys, but she divides her time between the U.S. and Italy.

James R. Ball III is Associate Dean for Industry and Community Engagement and Associate Professor of Performance Studies in Texas A&M’s School of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts. He studies the performance of diplomacy, the politics of spectatorship, and immersive aesthetics. His books include Theatre of State: a Dramaturgy of the United Nations (Northwestern University Press, 2020) and Performing Statecraft: the Postdiplomatic Theatre of Sovereigns, Citizens, and States (Methuen Drama, 2023). His work has also been published in TDR: The Drama Review, The Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, The International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media, Brecht Yearbook, and e-misférica.