News

For close to 40 years -- 30 as Chief Security Offer -- John Barelli was responsible for the security of the Metropolitan Museum of Art -- including its precious objects, visitors, staff, and the building itself. On August 18, 2020, in a talk entitled Behind the Scenes of Art Museum Security and Theft,  Mr. Barelli, who has recently published a book about his career at the Met, described the circumstances and objects involved in the remarkably few thefts the Met has experienced over the years. Each of the thefts revealed weaknesses in security, which the museum later addressed.  He also discussed some of the changes in museum procedures and the increasing use of technology. The video includes the questions and answers after the talk. For program attendees and registrants, Mr. Barelli also followed up with written answers to questions for which there was insufficient time at the program. 

This new video joins other previous postings on the Programs & Events page. These can be recognized by the blue camera icons, and include:

July 16, 2020: Back from the Dead: Raphael After 500 Years, a virtual Evening featuring LINDA WOLK-SIMON, Ph.D., Visiting Professor, The Institute of Fine Arts, NYU; Author, Raphael at the Metropolitan: The Colonna Altarpiece. This program was in commemoration of the 500th Anniversary of the death of the great Italian Renaissance painter.

May 29, 2019: John Richardson, Picasso Scholar and Art World Luminary, a tribute to the late John Richardson, the noted Picasso biographer. Speakers included DIANA WIDMAIER PICASSO, the artist’s granddaughter; PEPE KARMEL, Associate Professor, Department of Art History, NYU;  and ROSS FINOCCHIO, Editorial Assistant to John Richardson.

December 10, 2018: Then and Now: The 20^th Anniversary of the Washington Conference on Holocaust-Era Looted Assets, a program commemorating the landmark 1998 conference. Among the speakers was Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat, special advisor to the U.S. State Dept. on Holocaust-Era issues.

In addition, you will find other programs, such as the Rosales/Knoedler Gallery Affair, an analysis of one of the most significant art scams in recent years; What the Art World Needs to Know About the Ivory Ban; and 3D Printing.