Outreach and Engagement

Expanding the Reach of Cultural Heritage Conservation

Over the years, the Mircea Maria Gerard Foundation has supported outreach to new conservators, and engaging with the public both during the conservation projects and enduringly once those projects are completed.

We have also continued to grow our impact by sharing our mission and work with ever-wider audiences—spanning academic, professional, and cultural sectors. In each interaction, Mircea’s spirit is present: his generosity of spirit, reverence for history, and love of beauty and restoration guiding us.

Tourists visiting an MMG Foundation worksite 2017

Below are a few recent examples of how the Foundation’s story and purpose have been shared to inspire, connect, and expand the reach of cultural heritage conservation.

"Sacred Art – Sacred Mission: The Spiritual Legacy of Giving Back"

On May 8-May 9 2025, Daniela Murphy and Luke Olbrich were invited to present a paper at the European Cathedrals Conference in Malta joining curators, site managers and conservators from around the world. The organizers aim was for practitioners to focus on the importance of conserving sacred art and architecture as a means of revitalizing the spiritual and theological messages they convey. The event explored how conservation efforts can serve as a vehicle for re-evangelization in contemporary society, bridging the gap between faith and modern audiences.

Click here for the paper.

An Unpublished Giambologna. An Opportunity for Active Protection.

Celani et al 2021. Published in 2023 in “Protection and Restoration 2021”

Bringing the experience of the Mircea Maria Gerard Foundation’s restoration of La Carita to the wider conservation community.

In addition to her moving inspiration for choosing and undertaking the restoration of the Giambologna statue La Carita (see the “Charity” section here on this website), Emanuela Peiretti and a team of scholars published a detailed analysis of their truly revelatory work of restoration and research that was undertaken as Celani et al highlight in their essay

“the restoration was an important and unprecedented opportunity to deepen our knowledge of the work, as happens in many cases. Here, following the discoveries that concerned the particular materials of execution, thanks to the constant support of the Mircea Maria Gerard Foundation, it was possible to conclude it in the face of a complexity and commitment that were completely unexpected compared to what was foreseen in the planning phase.”

An Unpublished Giambologna. An Opportunity for Active Protection. Celani et al. 2021. Printed 2023 in Protection & Restoration 2021 – Newsletter of the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the metropolitan city of Florence and the provinces of Pistoia and Prato

Un Giambologna inedito. Occasione per una tutela attiva. Celani et al, 2021 Original Italian version

Cultural Heritage in a Time of Climate Change: A Florence, Italy Case Study

Luke Olbrich, Università di Bologna, 2023 – Final Research Dissertation

Written between 2022 and 2023 and presented in November 2023 to an interdisciplinary academic committee from the Geography, History, and Anthropology faculties at the University of Bologna, this research was awarded con lode for excellence.

The work was inspired by Mircea’s deep care for the natural world and created as an act of both remembrance and gratitude to the Florentine conservation community. Many of the professionals interviewed are longstanding collaborators of the Foundation and active members of Associazione Bastioni.

Luke developed this research as a heartfelt offering—both to Mircea’s memory and as a call to hope, vigilance, and action in the face of the growing threat that climate change poses to cultural heritage. The work underscores the Foundation’s commitment to supporting scholarship and real-world conservation practice grounded in love, knowledge, and responsibility.

Documents

Video

Summary video of Cultural Heritage Conservation in a Time of Climate Change, A Florentine Case Study