Rena De Sisto, art and patronage for Bank of America

Only on June 21 in Milan, on the occasion of the summer solstice, was it delivered to Rena De Sisto – global executive for Arts & Culture and Women's programs of Bank of America - the prize "Rose of Brera”, a prestigious award that rewards a character who has stood out for his support for the activities of the Pinacoteca di Brera. Only a few hours later we find ourselves in Milan, not far from the Pinacoteca to meet De Sisto personally.

The occasion is truly unique, a woman with an informal tone but already a very professional character right from the first presentation and a personality who doesn't miss anything more than what she has already said.

Rena, can you introduce us to the Global Arts Program?

Global Arts Program promoted by Bank of America is a global program designed to support institutions in the non-profit arts and culture sector, with the aim of offering a new model of participation by bringing value to the economies of countries, to society and local businesses , with an important plus, supporting art so that its value is preserved, experienced and above all shared by everyone "art must be made available to the community", hence our "Art in out Communities" logo.

The Bank of America art collection, made up of works that were part of the assets of the banks that over time have been acquired by Bank of America it is put to the benefit of the community, and the works on display can be borrowed free of charge from museums and galleries. Over the past 10 years or so, I am approximately 80 museums in the world who have benefited from this precious opportunity by realizing 130 exhibitions.

To name a few, until next September 16th it is possible to see a collection of photographs from the first half of the 2th century at the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego; Images by Manuel Carrillo: Mi Querido Mexico at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio until September XNUMXnd.

However, I seem to identify in your institution a strong sensitivity and willingness to conserve and restore works of art…

Certainly yes, since 2010, Bank of America has provided grants to museums in 30 countries around the world, in Italy we have supported 5 interventions, including the Tiepolo which begins in these days and will be completed by next October. Each restoration project - Rena points out - can include several works, for this reason our commitment starts right from the beginning, to better understand the existence and the necessary interventions.

In 2018, 150 restoration applications were presented to us from all over the world, we selected 15 of them, one of which concerns an Italian work.

Works that have received conservation interventions by the bank through 2017 include El Greco's Assumption of the Virgin at the Art Institute of Chicago; paintings by Wayne Thiebaud at the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, California; Frank Stella's Tahkt-I-Sulayman Variation II at the Minneapolis Institute of Art; two works by Robert Rauschenberg in the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC Auctions and donations. Also donated works to museums around the world, including including Red Concave Circle, 1970, by De Wain Valentine, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Los Angeles; Untitled (Sea rst), 1979, by Sam Francis, in The Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina; and Blue Green Yellow Orange Red, 1968, a large 22-foot canvas by Ellsworth Kelly, in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. But we don't stop there.

It seems to me that you pay great attention to safeguarding the Italian artistic heritage…

Certainly, we have been present in Italy since several years, since it has one of the most galli world heritage. I would like to remember the sponsorship of Museum of the '900; the restoration of 3 works by Bronzino and 1 by Pontorno at Palazzo Strozzi; the Trivulziano Code the collection of drawings and writings by Leonardo da Vinci which includes 51 papers dating from between 1478 and 1493 and currently kept by the Trivulziana Library at the Castello Sforzesco in Milan. And about Da Vinci, too the sponsorship of show a Royal Palace on the occasion of the EXPO.

A truly great philanthropic commitment in every sense…

Yes, a bit everything goes in the direction of philanthropy and there are even initiatives of clarity through the auctioning of works from the collection. In 2017, proceeds from the annual art auction went to NYU Langone Health in New York, helping them expand their services to families.

Bank of America also caters to music-related initiatives, including founding members of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, DC; main sponsor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; and the International Tour Sponsor of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York.

Are there any new projects or programs that you have an eye for?

Our commitment is also addressed to support cultural heritage threatened or affected by natural or man-made disasters. A project started in 2017 but of which we are particularly proud.

$1 million was donated to the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative, and is the largest corporate donation made by Bank of America as the program's lead sponsor. This donation highlights this year's forum theme, “Creating a Shared Future in a Fragmented World,” which champions collaboration as a way to solve global challenges. The Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative was created in 2010 following the success of the Haiti Cultural Rescue Project. Its mission is to protect cultural heritage threatened or affected by natural or man-made disasters and to help communities across the United States and around the world preserve their identities and histories.

“Bank of America supports the passionate and courageous men and women who work, sometimes at personal risk, to protect precious treasures for future generations,” said its Chief Executive Officer Moynihan. 

Since its founding, the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative has recovered and preserved more than 50.000 pieces of arts and cultural materials worldwide. The program has worked in countries such as Haiti, Egypt, Mali and Nepal, as well as parts of the United States including New York, Texas and Puerto Rico.

The Safeguarding the Heritage of Syria and Iraq project was created in April 2013 as a consortium of the Smithsonian, the Penn Cultural Heritage Center at the University of Pennsylvania Museum, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and other heritage organizations . Working with heritage professionals and local civil societies in these countries, the project has protected important sites damaged by war and looting. The Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative also conducts disaster relief training for US military personnel, cultural heritage professionals, and first responders around the world. More recently Bank of America has finally been among the partners founderori of the Smithsonian's new museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Rena, I want to stop with this answer of yours, so that respect for art should not be trampled on by political or social phenomena and not even denied help in the event of natural disasters, your latest project is not only sensitivity but above all a teaching of wanting to build a better world that no one can escape from. My compliments.