Left to right: Louisa Blenman, associate director of International Programs; Jim Pitts, director of International Programs; Ruth A. Owens, FSU alumna; and Mafé Brooks, assistant dean of Development for International Programs and the College of Communication and Information. (FSU International Programs)
Florida State University alumna Ruth A. Owen’s life was forever changed after studying abroad in Florence, Italy, in 1971.
Now, Owen hopes to change more lives with the establishment of the Ruth A. Owen Endowed Scholarship Fund. The endowment will provide students with the opportunity to have similar life-changing experiences and is a testament to Owen’s gratitude for how the FSU Florence Program transformed her worldview.
As part of the celebration of 50 years of archaeological excavations at Cetamura del Chianti, the FSU Florence Study Center unveiled the Ruth A. Owen Galleria Belle Arti.
Located on the second floor of the FSU Florence Study Center, the Galleria Belle Arti was conceived to house revolving exhibitions from students, faculty and local artists, and for the display of rare objects, books and archival material.
The space will also function as a permanent link to FSU’s archaeological program at Cetamura in Chianti, including an annual exhibit curated by student interns from the Cetamura program. Should funds become available after the scholarships have been awarded, then the remaining funds will be used to support student exhibitions at the gallery.
The unveiling marked a significant milestone for International Programs as the Ruth A. Owen Galleria Belle Arti is the first named room at one of FSU’s four study centers in Florence, London, Valencia or Panama.