Bellagio Center Voices and Visions

The Rockefeller Foundation invited former Bellagio conference participants and residents—from scientists, economists, and leaders of non-governmental organiza- tions to composers, painters, and authors—to share their memories of and perspectives on their time at the Center, including its impact on their work. Each of these essays begins with biographical details about the contributor, the year(s) of his or her Bellagio visit(s), and the project(s) the contributor was working on there. Some are illustrated Voices and with artwork created at Bellagio. Visions 56 57 Pilar Palaciá Introduction Managing Director, the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center I have often wondered how I could explain what makes Bellagio Or perhaps I should focus on the historical treasures of the such a special place. I could say it is the visiting residents and confer- property: the main Villa, built in 1540, providing a dignified scenario ence participants themselves, the people I have met during my time for special dinners; the Sfondrata, constructed at the end of the 16th here, and their remarkable, diverse projects. The Center hosts people century, offering a place for quiet contemplation by the lake and, from all over the world who are seriously trying to make a differ- with its tranquil beauty, motivating guests to move beyond their own ence, who fight for equity and justice, who are passionate about their expectations and limitations in their work; the Frati, originally built creativity, whose actions are examples to others. Dedicated artists, as a Capuchin monastery in 1610, its austere and intimate nature policymakers, scholars, practitioners, and scientists all come together conveying an unmatched sense of connectedness and shared respon- at Bellagio, creating an exhilarating atmosphere. I could also talk sibility that informs and enriches the conferences held here. about the warm and committed staff, who work tirelessly to ensure Or should I try to explain the mesmerizing effect of Bellagio’s that our guests can concentrate on their work, their art, their natural beauty? No, others in these pages have written better than engagement with one another. I could about the power of the Center’s vistas and vantage points to Or I could try to express my pride in being part of the Rockefeller astonish and inspire. Let me just mention that, somehow, the abun- Foundation, an institution that transformed a gift into a distinguished dance of natural wonders promotes generosity and understanding, center devoted to creativity, scholarship, social activism, and philan- enriches creative processes, and generates openness, acceptance, and thropy. It was 1959 when Ella Walker, the Principessa della Torre e peace. I am convinced that it is the combination of all these character- Tasso, gave this 53-acre property to the Foundation, requesting only istics that makes the Bellagio Center so distinctive. that it be used to promote international understanding. As you will To learn more about what it has meant to be here, please turn read in one of the essays that follow, this seemingly simple act of gen- these pages to listen to the varied voices of former visitors and see erosity brought some challenges for Dean Rusk, then the president some of the artwork born at this lakeside setting. of the Foundation. It is said that the world is growing smaller. For the past 50 years, I could speak of his vision and that of the Foundation administra- the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center, a small world unto itself, tors who followed him, including current president Judith Rodin, all has provided a unique example of the ways in which intellectual of whom brought groundbreaking ideas, wisdom, and commitment engagement and focus can bring global communities closer together. to the development of the Bellagio Center, making it the institution The Center’s next 50 years promise to be even more productive than it is today: an unparalleled resource for community development and the first. the appreciation of diverse cultures; an international center for inno- vative thinking and problem-solving; and a supportive environment for outstanding artistic and intellectual achievement. 58 59 Sculptor 2002: working on an architec- Voices and Visions ture and landscape project Alice Adams I have always been intrigued by buildings and how they relate to the terrain on which they are built. Encountering the Villa Serbelloni and its structure as a virtual wall continuing and reflecting the steeply terraced mountainside it stands on had a strong effect on me. Part of my work as a Bellagio resident was to make studies of this building in drawing and model form. In doing so, I drew the mountains sur- rounding and viewed from the building. I was a resident in the spring, when the woods behind the Villa were full of wildflowers. The ability to wander, observe, and draw made the sociability of the mealtimes and the evening gatherings after dinner all the more welcome. Alice Adams, (top) sketchbook page with observations about the siting of the Villa Serbelloni, 11" x 14", 2002; and (bottom) “Mountains from the Villa Serbelloni,” 11" x 14", drawing, black ink on paper, 2002. 60 61 Bellagio Composer 1996: creating a jazz piece about Louis Armstrong’s wife called “’Lil” and an opera, “The Visit of the Old Lady,” for City Opera, New York JoAnne Akalaitis I was a bit intimidated by Bellagio at first—the grandeur, the lake, the residents, unknown to me, and all the maids looked like Catherine Deneuve. I got over that soon enough, determined to work on several projects at once. I spent a lot of time writing lyrics and listening to a CD, looking at the score with headphones. But more important than my work (and I confess I’m pretty lazy) was making new friends whom I never would have gotten to know in any other place, since they travel in circles I don’t. For instance, Lucy and Harley, both scientists from Stanford, Margaret, a social scientist, and Russell, a political theorist. We became the “children’s table”—noisy and boisterous each evening, talking about everything late into the night. We played inept bocce before dinner in the hot sun and laughed at our clumsiness, then the climb up the hill, a drink, a Billie Holiday or Maria Callas CD, and a delicious dinner. 62 63 Poet, writer, civil rights 1975: writing the third volume From Hallelujah! The Voices and Visions activist, performer, teacher, of her multi-part autobiography Welcome Table: A Lifetime of director; author of I Know Memories with Recipes Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou The Rockefeller Foundation’s Study The artists were addressed as and Conference Center was a large dottore, which meant that their schol- mansion snuggled into the hills above arship was respected. They were told Bellagio, Italy. Fifteen artists at a time that dinner was formal, and that was from around the world were invited to an understatement. Dinner was an event the enclave. Selected artists with com- of meticulous structure. Guests were panions had to make their way to Milan expected to dress each night and were airport, and then magically they were directed where to sit by a placement, swept up by tender arms and placed which lay on a hall table at the door of in a lap of luxury that few popular the drawing room. There must have movie stars or rich corporate chiefs even been an exemplary social statistician in dreamed existed. A chauffeured car the Center’s employ because in the four picked up the invitees and drove them weeks when I was a resident, no one ever carefully fifty miles north to Bellagio. sat twice between the same two people. There they were deposited at the Center, Jessica Mitford and I were invited which stood atop a high hill. Its build- and found ourselves to be the only ings were low-slung and meandered female artists. We had brought along over carefully tended acres only a few our husbands, Robert Treuhaft and Paul miles from the Swiss border. Within du Feu, but the staff, so unused to female those elegant walls, forty-eight employ- scholars, could not bring themselves to ees cared for thirty guests and the retreat address us as they addressed the thirteen center’s director and wife. Each artist male scholars. So they called us signora had a commodious suite. and our husbands dottore. Once ensconced in this gracious- One evening during a lull in the ness, the artists were informed of ten or twelve conversations plying the the regimen. Breakfast was ordered table, the director reminded the guests nightly and served each morning by that Thanksgiving was approaching. footmen. Lunch was served informally He then asked if anyone had a good at midday. Artists could sit at will in recipe for roast turkey and corn bread a casual dining room and choose food dressing. I waited, but no one moved. from an elaborate buffet. The time I said, “I do. I have a recipe.” I spoke could have been passed off as an ordinary it before I thought. lunch save that each table sported a Everyone beamed at me except handwritten menu of foods offered and my husband, Jessica, and Robert. the company was served at the buffet In a second, their faces told me I had table by the uniformed head waiter and done the wrong thing. Company never the tailored butler. volunteers, never offers. Nonetheless, 64 65 Bellagio Voices and Visions the director said the butler would an orange powdery meal many times A small dark-skinned cook came We walked out into an alley. come to my suite mid-morning to brighter than American yellow cornmeal. from the rear of the kitchen.

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