As part of the聽, Barbara Jatta, director of the Vatican Museums, spoke on campus Tuesday (April 21) for a conversation titled 鈥淎rt and the Museum as Instruments of Hope.鈥�
The event, which also served as the final keynote event of the 2025-26 Notre Dame Forum on 鈥淐ultivating Hope,鈥� explored the intersections of the arts, faith, history, and education.
University President聽, welcomed Jatta and noted Notre Dame鈥檚 150-year history with the Vatican Museums.
鈥淭hat connection began when Notre Dame founder Father Edward Sorin invited Vatican artist Luigi Gregori to campus to serve as artist-in-residence and also director of our art department,鈥� Father Dowd said. 鈥淎nd that single invitation really has shaped Notre Dame鈥檚 visual identity.鈥�
Jatta sat down for a conversation with聽, the R.L. Canala Professor of Art History at Notre Dame and former academic director of Notre Dame Rome. Noting that it was the first anniversary of the death of Pope Francis, Hyde Minor and Jatta discussed the challenges and range of emotions over the last year for Jatta and her colleagues with his passing and the election of Pope Leo XIV, which included preparing the Sistine Chapel within the museums for the papal conclave.
Jatta also discussed touring the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art and stated that it is important for a university to have a wide range of collections鈥攁s the Raclin Murphy does鈥攖o build bridges across cultures.
鈥淔rom Renaissance times and even before, I can say art was a vehicle to represent the invisible, to represent spiritual values,鈥� Jatta said, 鈥渂ut also to testify to legacy and knowledge and to be part of the values of different cultures and bring them together, and to testify to the truth in Christianity and in the Catholic Church.鈥�
Following the conversation, Jatta took questions from the audience, encouraging students to continue to pursue the arts and humanities.
鈥淲hat I can tell you, the students, is to never forget the humanistic side of your life,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ecause that will help you to know your history 鈥� to know who preceded you, to know the heritage of where you come from or where your ancestors came from or where your country came from. It is so important in order to be a better person.鈥�