Our Mission and History

Our New York Chapter Mission

The Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums is a 501c(3) interfaith group that is committed to the restoration, preservation and increase in artistic patrimony of the collections and buildings of the Vatican Museums, while furthering the understanding and knowledge of its members of these works of art through lectures, meetings and visits to the Vatican.

We achieve this by:

• Spreading knowledge of the specific cultural and spiritual goals of the Vatican Museums as well as the various Vatican offices and basilicas in Rome and the collections they hold
• Supporting the multiple activities of the Vatican Museums and promoting restoration of other works of art for the Holy See under Museum Direction authority
• Promoting the acquisition of new works which complement the existing collections
• Supporting future expansions of the Museums

Our New York Chapter History

The Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums, and the New York Chapter, were founded in the early 1980’s to help support artistic conservation projects, donate equipment for restoration laboratories, and assist in the restructuring of the museums. For more than 30 years Patrons from throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe have shown their support and concern through the conservation of the Vatican patrimony of art which stands as the most unique collection in the world.

Our Mission

The Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums is a 501c(3) interfaith group that is committed to the restoration, preservation and increase in artistic patrimony of the collections and buildings of the Vatican Museums, while furthering the understanding and knowledge of its members of these works of art through lectures, meetings and visits to the Vatican.

The Patrons help the Vatican Museums in:

• Spreading knowledge of the specific cultural and spiritual goals of the Vatican Museums as well as the various Vatican offices and basilicas in Rome and the collections they hold
• Supporting the multiple activities of the Vatican Museums and promoting restoration of other works of art for the Holy See under Museum Direction authority
• Promoting the acquisition of new works which complement the existing collections
• Supporting future expansions of the Museums

Our History

Founded in 1983 after a major exhibition from the Vatican toured The Metropolitan (New York), the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum (San Francisco) and The Art Institute of Chicago, a group of philanthropists recognized the unique opportunity to participate in art conservation. Desiring to address the preservation of the artwork and historic buildings of the Vatican, the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums was launched worldwide.

Today, the Patrons are an international reality with chapters in North American and European countries. They support the preservation and conservation efforts of the Museums. While the themes in our priceless collection may be eternal, the paintings, sculptures, frescoes, tapestries and historic buildings are sensitive to the ravages of time.

It is often the unseen and unnoticed work of the museum which must continue if the unique spiritual and cultural mission of the Vatican Museums is to flourish.