Two members of PennDesign faculty, Randall Mason and Karen M’Closkey, have been awarded the 2012-2013 Rome Prize
The American Academy in Rome has named two faculty members from the University of Pennsylvania School of Design as winners of the 116th annual Rome Prize Competition, a national competition that recognizes 30 individuals who represent the highest standard of excellence in the arts and humanities.
The prestigious fellowship offers an opportunity for prize winners to pursue their work in an atmosphere conducive to intellectual and artistic freedom, interdisciplinary exchange, and innovation. The prize includes a stipend, a study or studio, and room and board for a period of six months to two years in Rome, Italy.
Randall Mason, Associate Professor and Chairman of the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, claimed the National Endowment for the Arts Rome Prize. During his fellowship, Mason will conduct archival and field research documenting Gustavo Giovannoni’s little-known contributions to urban conservation.
Karen M’Closkey, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, has won the Garden Club of America Rome Prize. She has proposed A Field Guide to Rome: Baedeker and Beyond as her topic.
“It’s a wonderful surprise to have not one but two Rome Prize winners this year coming from our faculty,” said Marilyn Jordan Taylor, Dean of PennDesign. “The Rome Prize is a great affirmation of excellent and thought-provoking work Randy and Karen are putting forth in their fields, and we’re thrilled that they’ll be able to build upon their research in the extraordinary setting and community of the American Academy in Rome.”
Mason and M’Closkey will begin their fellowship at the American Academy in Rome this fall. Winners were formally recognized at the Janet & Arthur Ross Rome Prize Ceremony held at the Harmonie Club in New York City on April 26.
Over the years, the Academy paid tribute to grand ideologies and fostered collaborative relationships, which became the legacy of Rome Prize Fellows. The Academy provides a multi-disciplinary environment where groups of talented and ambitious artists and scholars come together, influence each other, and contribute to the artistic movements and scholarly culture of their time.
For more information about the American Academy in Rome and Rome Prize, visit www.aarome.org.