Casa Lectures
If you are a member of the Casa, you will receive mailings and registration information for all lectures and discussions sponsored by the Casa. Unless stated otherwise, all lectures are free and open to the public.
2009 Mancini Lecture:
Ronald Zarrella, Former Bausch & Lomb CEO to Speak at Mancini Lecture.
He was the CEO of Bausch & Lomb and has worked for corporations ranging from Bristol-Myers to General Motors. His career in the business community is long and distinguished. And it is because of his knowledge, garnered from these varied experiences, coupled with his Italian background, that makes the Casa Italiana excited to announce Ronald L. Zarrella as this year's speaker at the prestigious Mancini Lecture.
Mr. Zarrella served at Bausch & Lomb as the company's chairman and chief executive officer from 2001 to 2008 and was responsible for expanding all aspects of the business, including leading the company into a period of growth. Prior to Bausch & Lomb, he spent seven years with General Motors Corporation, most recently as executive vice president and president of General Motors North America in Detroit.
Influential among the Italian American population, he formerly served on the board of directors for The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF), a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the heritage and culture of Americans of Italian descent. He has also been an honoree at past NIAF anniversary galas.
As an active member of the community, he belongs to the boards of directors of the Committee for Economic Development in Rochester and the University of Rochester Medical Center, is a vice chair of the Rochester Institute of Technology, and is chairman emeritus of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He has also served on the boards of John Hopkins Medicine, Rochester Museum & Science Center, and the Detroit Symphony, offering insights gained from his successful career in the business world.
At the Mancini Lecture, Mr. Zarrella will share his perspective as an Italian American in corporate America and will touch on formative aspects of his career, including his experience with scientific, medical and technological innovation. This lecture will certainly be of special interest to corporate professionals and to students wanting to enter the professional world. We are proud to present this distinguished guest at the 2009 Mancini Lecture. For more information on dates and times, check your mail for an upcoming invitation.
The Mancini Lecture is supported by the Mancini Charitable Foundation, established in 1989 to honor the late Joseph Mancini, a Rochester industrialist and founder of the Casa Italiana. The program features Italians and Italian Americans who are leading public servants, industrialists, and statesmen. Past speakers have included retired U.S. Marine Corps General Anthony Zinni, Judge Domenick Gabrielli, New York State First Lady Matilda Cuomo, pioneer psychiatrist John Romano, Gannett newspaper publisher Vincent Spezzano, Paychex President B. Thomas Golisano,and Central Trust Company President Angelo Costanza.
Art History Lecture:
"The 18th Century Grand Tour," Dr. Dorothy (Doot) Bokelman
Sunday, September 20 at 2 p.m.
Casa Italiana LeChase Lounge
In the 18th century, the Grand Tour was every English nobleman's rite of passage. As part of their education, young gentlemen would travel to Europe to see the antiquities of western civilization. Rich in history and art, Italy was a major destination. Throngs of British visitors commissioned Italian artists to realistically depict Roman monuments, Venetian canals, and portraits of themselves in bucolic Tuscan scenes. Brought back to England as glorified "souvenirs," these drawings and paintings were the forerunners of the modern postcard.
Three major artists of the period catered to the travelling elite, yet they are relatively unknown today. In her talk, "The 18th Century Grand Tour," Dr. Dorothy Bokelman will feature the often overlooked works of Piranese, Batoni, and Canaletto. Giovanni Battista Piranese is most famous for his exquisitely detailed etchings of ancient Roman architecture. Pompeo Batoni had more than 200 of his portraits commissioned by British patrons during the Grand Tour. And Venetian artist Giovanni Antonio Canal, better known as Canaletto, is famous for his realistic "vedute," or views, of the Venetian cityscape.
Join Dr. Bokelman as we take the Grand Tour and visit these remarkable treasures of Italian art.