OPENING DAY SYMPOSIUM: NEW PERSPECTIVES ON THE ETRUSCANS
Gunn theater at Legion of Honor Museum
100 34th Avenue, San Francisco, CA
Saturday, May 2nd, 2026 | 10 AM – 4 PM
Free and open to the public or live on Youtube
On the occasion of the exhibition The Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco is organizing the opening symposium New Perspectives on the Etruscans, bringing together leading international scholars and researchers to explore one of the most fascinating—and still partly mysterious—cultures of the ancient Mediterranean.
Through a series of multidisciplinary talks, the symposium will highlight recent archaeological discoveries and new interpretations that are reshaping our understanding of the Etruscans and their role in the development of Western civilization. The program offers a unique opportunity to examine Etruscan contributions to art, architecture, and engineering, shedding light on the lasting influence of this culture on subsequent societies.
The symposium is an integral part of the exhibition’s opening events and marks the first major Etruscan exhibition in the United States in over twenty years. It will be available in person or live on Youtube.
An Ancient Art Council program with support from the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di San Francisco and Public Programs of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
SESSION 1: 10 am–12 pm – Link to online Session 1
- Introduction and welcome remarks
Renée Dreyfus, George and Judy Marcus Distinguished Curator and Curator in Charge of Ancient Art, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco - Etruscan Pasts, Present, and Futures
Lisa Pieraccini, lecturer, History of Art department, and director, Mario Del Chiaro Center for Ancient Italian Studies, University of California, Berkeley - Etruscans in Full Color: The Painters and Their Techniques on Walls, Terracottas, and Pottery
Daniele F. Maras, director, National Archaeological Museum, Florence
SESSION 2: 1:30–4 pm – Link to online Session 2
- Myths, Mirrors, and Matrons: Reflections on Etruscan Art and Society
Alexandra A. Carpino, PhD, associate dean and professor of comparative cultural studies, College of Arts and Letters, Northern Arizona University - Formed by Fire: Etruscan Mastery of Bronze
P. Gregory Warden, Mark A. Roglán Director, Custard Institute for Spanish Art and Culture, Southern Methodist University