These galleries are our classical legacy – a legacy that we hope will be a valuable and lasting one. For the curatorial team there have been so many gratifying aspects of being a part of this project. Not least, of course, is our good fortune to be able to do research on one of the world’s great classical collections and to see the results of that research presented to the public in a spectacularly beautiful display. Equally gratifying have been the friendships that have been forged in the course of this project, both within the museum and outside.

As the Project Coordinator who has watched this 10-year project come to fruition, I want to acknowledge the impressive team thatmade these new galleries and the related publications and programs possible and give you some sense of the magnitude and complexity of this kind of undertaking.

First, our sincerest gratitude is extended to Dr. Jean MacIntosh Turfa, our colleague from Bryn Mawr College and curatorial consultant for the Etruscan Gallery, who we are sure is a reincarnated Etruscan priestess, wise in all matters relating to the world of the Etruscans. We are deeply indebted to the Director of the museum, Dr. Jeremy Sabloff, Deputy Director for Operations, Dr. Gerald Margolis, and to the Museum’s Board of Overseers for their support for this project. We would also like to extend our deepest appreciation to our colleagues in the Mediterranean Section, Dr. Keith DeVries and Dr. David Gilman Romano, for their guidance and expertise; to Lynn Makowsky, Keeper of the Mediterranean Section collections, for cheerfully and efficiently tending to all aspects of the management of the objects, from computer records to shepherding objects from storage to the photo studio to their exhibition cases.

Many individuals in every department of the Museum have assisted with this project, and to all of them we are extremely grateful. Always first to be thanked and congratulated for an outstanding job is the Museum’s Exhibition Department, headed by John T. Murray who oversaw the design and installation of the galleries. He was assisted by an able crew of William Bucher, Howard Clemenko, Kevin Lamp, Scott Thom, and Sheila Vaccaro. Conservation of the 1,000 objects in these new galleries was skillfully carried out by the Museum’s Conservation Laboratory headed by Virginia Greene, assisted by Lynn Grant and Julie Lawson who became intimate with almost every Etruscan artifact in the exhibit. Freelance conservator, Tamsen Fuller was of enormous help in taking on the conservation of all of the stone sculpture in the galleries. Lee Horne, with the assistance of Raymond Rorke, edited the exhibition and publication texts, and was a critical member of the curatorial team. Naomi Pitamber and Clio Mallin were our curatorial assistants who took on so many aspects of the exhibition preparation and programming behind-the-scenes.

We are also thankful to Gillian Wakely, Associate Director for Programs; Francine Sarin and Jennifer Chiappardi in the Photography Studio; Alex Pezzati and Charles Kline in Archives; the Registrar’s Office; Walda Metcalf, Jennifer Quick, and Beebe Bahrami in the Publications Department; the outstanding PR/marketing team of Pam Kosty, Jeremy Kucholtz, and Leroy Smith in the Public Information Office, with the irrepressible Phoebe Resnick, as marketing consultant for the project; Jane Nelson, Betsy Straw, and Michele Saland in the Education Department, and the many docents who took on the training program for guiding groups through the classical galleries; the tireless Tena Thomason and Carla Ricci in the Events Office; Lillian Messick and Christine Beardsley in Membership; Suzanne Becker and the staff of the Development Office; the entire Women’s Committee of the Museum; Susan West in the Shops; Alan Waldt and the Business Office staff; Melford Smith and the Facilities Department; the Museum Catering Company; Keith Liquori and the guards. There was almost no one in the Museum who was not involved in some way with this project and to the entire staff we are so grateful.

The superb renovation of the galleries was undertaken by the architectural firm of Atkin, Olshin, Lawson-Bell and Associates, while the construction was expertly managed by Turner Construction Company. The beautiful exhibition was designed by Staples and Charles, Ltd., in Alexandria, VA, and we are grateful to that team of Barbara Charles, Bob Staples, Harry Raab, Mary Wolff, Matt Kuhnert, and Cesar Zapata for their enormous contribution. Avalon Exhibits, Inc. in New Castle, DE did a heroic job in difficult circumstances in fabricating the exhibition furniture, while Berry and Homer executed the highest quality graphic production. Tigue Lighting provided their expertise on lighting the exhibition; Keast and Hood oversaw the engineering of the monumental objects, while More Specialized Transport did the rigging of the heavy objects. The spectacular murals in the Roman gallery were painted by the talented Harij Griecevics and William Whiting. We worked long and hard with Mark Mattson who executed the 13 maps for the exhibition, while the detailed model of the Pompeian house was created by Christopher Ray. Veronica Miller undertook the graphic designs for the brochures, banners, and other advertising materials for the exhibition. Jude Jansen in Santa Monica, CA produced the video for the exhibition, "Enduring Legacy: The Classical World."

Many organizations, including radio and TV stations, and newspapers partnered with us to donate services that allowed us to further promote this exhibition. These include Banyan Productions; Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia; Comcast; James Cuorato, City of Philadelphia; Greater Philadelphia Tourism and Marketing Corporation; The Italian Newspaper; KYW NewsRadio; Metrokids; National Italian American Foundation; PECO Energy; Philadelphia Gas Works; SEPTA; Sons of Italy Times; University City District; VATV; Vagabond Acting Troupe; Viacom Display; Videosmith; WHYY; WRTI; and WXPN-FM. To all of them we are extremely grateful.
Over 40 scholars and colleagues around the world were ready with their expertise and advice about individual objects or groups of objects in the collections. For example, Philip Betancourt provided expertise on the Aegean Bronze Age collection; Stuart Fleming on glass, and Chris Rorres on Greek mathematics, while Shane Butler and Ralph Rosen lent their Latin and Greek voices to the television public service announcement or audio in the gallery, Eric Kondratieff gave us his numismatic expertise. And, in our planning for the structure of the intellectual content of the galleries, a Teacher Advisory group gave us the benefit of their joint experience with elementary and secondary school students.

We are so appreciative for the long-term loans of objects from the Classical Studies Department, University of Pennsylvania; the Glencairn Museum; the Philadelphia Museum of Art; and Department of Classics, Swarthmore College, and for the permission to include objects in the exhibition from the Egyptian and Near Eastern Sections of the Museum.

Many students and friends volunteered their assistance with this project and to all of these individuals we are exceedingly grateful. I will mention just a few: Cynthia Reed lend her steady hands to the Conservation Dept.; Liz Corley gamely pitched in during the final month to help us with the exhibit installation; Demi Andrianou and Barbara Presseisen took on the compilation of the Educators’ Guide for the galleries; and Sarah Chesney, our faithful Penn student, did it all including waking up early on a Sunday morning to don a toga and march with us in the Columbus Day parade down Broad Street.

"The Classical Year" of programming was also composed of many individuals and groups, from singing, dancing, and acting troupes, to balloon artists, glass blowers, experts on ancient costume, topiary arts, Italian cinema and pasta, to gladiators and soldiers from Legions XX and XXIV, defending the frontiers of Ancient Rome in the Mid-Atlantic Province of North America. We are so grateful for the participation of all of these people. The Museum and our audience have been enriched by their presence.

Lastly, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the Advisory Committee for the Etruscan and Roman Exhibition Project, and especially to Josephine Hueber, for the hard work of guiding us through the difficult waters of raising the $3 million to bring the project to fruition. To each of the over 40 foundations, corporations, associations and more than 160 individuals who gave generously to this project we extend our deep appreciation. So gratifying has been the support of the Italian-American community in the Philadelphia area, with the leadership of Senator Vincent Fumo and Joseph Jacovini, who raised the funds for the Roman World Gallery, named in honor of a distinguished son of Italy and citizen of Philadelphia, Andrew N. Farnese, Esq. We are also proud to have named the Etruscan World Gallery in honor of Kyle M. Phillips, Jr., a leader in Etruscan archaeology in the United States and Research Associate of the Museum from 1976 to the time of his death in 1988. The Greek community in the Delaware Valley, lead by the Hellenic University Club of Philadelphia, gave generously for upgrades to the Greek World Gallery, named in honor of Rodney S. Young, curator of the Museum’s Mediterranean Section from 1951 to 1974 and excavator of Phrygian Gordion. These galleries are also the legacy of all of these donors and honorees. (To view a complete list of donors, click here.)

I thank all of you Members and Friends of the Museum for your enthusiasm and interest, and ask our imperator, Dr. Jeremy Sabloff, to come forward to orchestrate a symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony.