Hyland Gallery Talk: Read the Room! Uncovering the Italian Room's Transnational Traces

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Activity Type: 
Exhibit
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Presenter: 
Dr. Lina Insana
Date: 
Wednesday, March 18, 2026 - 12:00
Event Status: 
As Scheduled
Location: 
Hillman Library, The Hyland Gallery Archives & Special Collections Exhibits, 3rd Floor
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Join lead curator Dr. Lina Insana, Professor in the Department of French and Italian, for a gallery talk on the new exhibit, Read the Room! Uncovering the Italian Room's Transnational Traces.

This exhibit, co-curated by students in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences, showcases University Archives from the University of Pittsburgh Library System that document the transnational networks and economic class dynamics at play during the Room's development in the 1930s and 1940s. How did decisions made in Rome and Florence determine the Italian Room’s decorative style and use of materials? To what extent was the Italian immigrant and ethnic community in Pittsburgh involved in these decisions? And at what point did skilled manual labor intersect with philanthropic support and elite decision-makers to bring the Italian Room to completion? Attend this talk and visit the exhibit for answers to these questions and more.

Visit the Hyland Gallery to see this display between February 2026- September 2026. For more details, visit https://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/events/history-program-archives-sp... and https://library.pitt.edu/asc-exhibits.

This exhibit and gallery talk are part of the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs Centennial celebration. For more information about the Centennial and related events across the University, visit https://www.nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/100years.

UCIS Unit: 
Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs
Other Pitt Sponsors: 
University of Pittsburgh Library System
Archives and Special Collections
Is Event Already in University Calendar?: 
No