Following Notre-Dame’s reopening in December 2024, get a behind-the-scenes look at the revival of this icon of French medieval architecture in a special event presented in partnership with World Monuments Fund.

The devastating fire at Notre-Dame de Paris on April 15, 2019 reminded the world of the significance of humanity’s built heritage and inspired a resolute commitment to rebuild. The extraordinary project that restored the beloved French landmark in just five years marks a triumph in preservation and a renewed commitment to safeguarding our shared cultural heritage.

Special guests will include Philippe Villeneuve, chief architect for historic monuments in France, including Notre-Dame de Paris; Barry Bergdoll, professor of art history and archaeology at Columbia University; Bénédicte de Montlaur, World Monuments Fund President and CEO; Jane Williams, director of conservation at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; and Emily A. Beeny, chief curator of the Legion of Honor and Barbara A. Wolfe Curator in Charge of European Paintings, who will give the introduction.

About the speakers

Emily Beeny is the chief curator of the Legion of Honor and Barbara A. Wolfe Curator in Charge of European Paintings. She holds a PhD from Columbia University and is a specialist in French paintings and drawings of the 17th through 19th centuries. She joined the Museums from the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

Barry Bergdoll is the Meyer Schapiro Professor of Art History at Columbia University. Professor Bergdoll’s broad interests center on modern architectural history. Trained in art history rather than architecture, he has an approach most closely allied with cultural history and the history and sociology of professions. He served as Philip Johnson Chief Curator at the Canadian Centre for Architecture and at the Museum of Modern Art from 2007 to 2023.

Bénédicte de Montlaur is President and CEO of World Monuments Fund (WMF), the world’s foremost private organization dedicated to saving extraordinary places while empowering the communities around them. Since 1965, WMF’s global team of experts has preserved the world’s diverse cultural heritage using the highest international standards at over 700 sites in 112 countries.

Philippe Villeneuve is the chief architect for historic monuments in France, including Notre-Dame de Paris, and has overseen restoration efforts at the cathedral since the 2019 fire.

Jane Williams is the director of conservation at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Her career has focused on collections stewardship and objects conservation in several Bay Area museums, as well as the Brooklyn Museum of Art, Walters Art Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She has also worked as a conservator on archaeological sites in Italy and Turkey.

About World Monuments Fund

World Monuments Fund is the leading independent organization devoted to safeguarding the world’s most treasured places to enrich lives and build mutual understanding. For more than 55 years, working at more than 700 sites in 112 countries, its highly skilled experts have applied proven and effective techniques to the preservation of important architectural and cultural heritage sites around the globe. Through the World Monuments Watch — a biennial, nomination-based program — WMF uses cultural heritage conservation to empower communities and improve human well-being. In partnership with local communities, funders, and governments, WMF seeks to inspire an enduring commitment to stewardship for future generations. Headquartered in New York City, the organization has offices and affiliates worldwide.

Ticket info

Free program. Theater doors will open 30 minutes before the start of the program. Seating is limited and unassigned and on a first-come-first-served basis. Admission to the theater program does not include admission to the special exhibition or other galleries in the museum.

Every Saturday, we offer free general admission to all residents of the nine Bay Area counties; additional fees may apply for special exhibitions. 

Contact info

Public Programs
publicprograms@famsf.org
415.750.7694