Open Studios - American Academy in Rome

A night in the studios of the Janiculum

Once a year, the American Academy in Rome opens the doors of its McKim, Mead & White Building to the public. This historic landmark overlooks the Janiculum Hill in Rome. During Open Studios, spaces usually reserved for research and creation become a free, open path through dozens of studios: visitors can meet the artists and scholars at work and observe their projects while they are still taking shape.

What are the Open Studios?

The stars of the evening are the Rome Prize Fellows and the Italian Fellows of the Academy, selected each year from among the most excellent artists and researchers. Their projects span visual arts, architecture, landscape architecture, design, historic preservation and conservation, literature, and musical composition. Many of the works on display explore the relationship between contemporary creativity and Rome: taxonomies of ancient Roman fish, studies on the acoustics of marble quarries, reflections on climate change, urban photography, and Renaissance books. It is a rare opportunity to understand how the Eternal City continues to nurture international artistic research.

The program: open studios and performances in the Bass Garden

The event combines two main experiences. On one hand, there is the self-guided tour of the studios, where the public can wander freely, chat with the Fellows, and discover installations, drawings, models, and works in progress. On the other, there are live performances in the Bass Garden, the Academy's garden, featuring musical compositions, poetry and prose readings, and environmental art interventions. The evening is further enriched by screenings and food stations with street food and drinks, making the event a delightful social occasion.

A bridge between Rome and international creativity

Open Studios represents the culmination of a year of work for the Fellows: months of study, interdisciplinary exchange, and intense research that flow into this evening of opening to the city. The event is part of the long tradition of public engagement at the American Academy in Rome, an institution founded at the end of the 19th century that has been in dialogue with the culture, art, and archaeology of Rome and Lazio from the Janiculum Hill for over a century.

Why attend

• Free access to studios and creative spaces usually closed to the public.
• Direct interaction with Rome Prize artists, architects, designers, writers, and composers.
• Live musical and literary performances in the Bass Garden.
• A unique perspective on the Janiculum Hill and Rome's international art scene.