On November 6, the American Academy in Rome gathered friends, Fellows, Residents, and supporters to celebrate the Academy’s mission to sustain cultural and intellectual vitality and drive the next generation of discovery. The 2025 New York Gala was the most successful live event in Academy history, raising more than $1.2M—a testament to the importance of the organization and the necessity of the arts and humanities in understanding and addressing the challenges facing the world.
The evening—held at the New York Public Library in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building—captured the spirit of the Academy’s Roman campus, with long, rectangular tables evoking the warmth and conviviality of communal dining. Tables adorned with rustic vines, fruit, and candles glowed beneath the vaulted ceilings, setting the tone for a night of spirited conversation.
The evening was co-chaired by Marilynn Davis and Mary Margaret Jones (1998 Fellow; 2020 and 2023 Resident), with Katharine J. Rayner and Cary Davis serving as honorary co-chairs. Board Chair Calvin Tsao and President and CEO Dr. Peter N. Miller opened the night with remarks celebrating the enduring importance of the Academy’s mission to support the arts and humanities globally.
Among the evening’s highlights, honoree Barbara Chase-Riboud (1958 Fellow) delivered moving remarks and a powerful poetry reading, earning two standing ovations. Guests received a copy of her latest book, Helicopter: A Melologue.
Though unable to attend in person, honoree Anthony Doerr (2005 Fellow, 2019 Resident)—author of Four Seasons in Rome, written during his fellowship year—shared a video message describing his time at the Academy as transformational. He spoke of his experience in Rome with his then-five-month-old twins and the gift the fellowship offers artists, scholars, and writers to “bring the wisdom of the past to the challenges of the present.” Each guest received a copy of Four Seasons in Rome in celebration of Doerr.
Honoree Darren Walker delivered a stirring address underscoring the profound necessity of institutions like the American Academy in Rome—places that champion creativity, intellectual inquiry, and cultural exchange.
The night’s musical moments were equally memorable: a string trio filled Astor Hall during cocktail hour, and a DJ kept the afterparty dance floor lively as Fellows, Residents, and new friends joined the celebration.
Guests included 24 recent Fellows and Residents (2024–2025), along with Rome Prize Winners from 1976, 1998, 2002, 2017, 2020, and 2023—reflecting the Academy’s vibrant intergenerational community.
The menu, inspired by the Rome Sustainable Food Project’s ethos of sustainability and low waste, featured seasonal dishes including burrata with blistered grapes (arugula, red endive, fennel, vin cotto, marigolds, granola crisp); free-range chicken with mushroom duxelle (porcini ragu, oven-roasted tomatoes, potato pearls, broccolini, pinot nero sauce); and a plum and frangipane tart with amaretto zabaglione for dessert.