Impact Fellowships

Anita Belgiorno-Nettis's support of the International Fellowship Program at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection is a continuation of her dedicated support of the arts. As Ms. Belgiorno-Nettis said: “Having lived in Italy, U.S., Canada, Malaysia, and Australia, the relevance of cultural appreciation has always resonated in my life. This fellowship is an opportunity to strengthen this exchange between my country of birth, Italy, and my country of current residence, Australia. I am fortunate to have been associated with such a prestigious art institution for many years now and I am glad that I can offer this fellowship for students so that they may experience the quality of such institution and the magic of Venice.”

Belgiorno-Nettis was invited to join the Advisory Board of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in 2011. In 2015, she was nominated as a Councilor for the Australian Participation in the Venice Biennale, and her family foundation was a major donor for the construction of the new Australian Pavilion. In recognition of her significant service to the community, she was awarded an AM (Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia) in 2019. In 2020, she was appointed Director of the Sydney Theatre Company, having already served as a Director of its Foundation since 2013. Belgiorno-Nettis has always consistently the arts, education, and community services through her involvement in social welfare and arts organizations.

Since 2020, thanks to her generous donation, each year an Australian candidate receives a fellowship of €1,500 per month for a period of three months.

Born in Belgium, Liesbeth Bollen studied history of art and museology at the Universities of Leuven and Florence. In 1997, following internships at the Cultural Department of the European Commission in Brussels and at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, she joined the staff of the museum in Venice.

In 2005, Bollen transferred to the Director's Office of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation in New York, where she was responsible for public relations, primarily with the Foundation’s trustees. In January 2006, Bollen rejoined the Peggy Guggenheim Collection as Director of External Affairs, overseeing membership, special events, fundraising, communications, and public relations. She became a key figure in building relationships with the museum’s patrons, benefactors, local authorities, and the Advisory Board of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

Bollen passed away on July 29, 2007, in Venice. She is remembered for her dedication, strong sense of duty and commitment, besides her engaging personality.

Each year a candidate with a background in communications, marketing, or external relations receives a fellowship in Liesbeth Bollen’s name of €1,200.

A native of Italy and longtime resident of the United States, Veronica Bulgari combines business acumen with a passion for art and music and a strong commitment to civic, cultural, and educational causes. She currently represents the Bulgari company at special corporate events, speaking on its heritage and history, and previously held senior roles in both its jewelry and fragrance divisions.

Bulgari holds a bachelor’s degree in Art History and Political Science from Duke University, and an master’s degree from The Courtauld Institute of Art. She served on Duke’s Trinity Board of Visitors and currently sits on the boards of the American Foundation for The Courtauld Institute and the National Academy Museum and School in New York.

Bulgari is also deeply engaged in public service. She co-founded and serves as president of the Washington Square Park Conservancy in New York. Through Carnegie Hall Notables, she advocates for classical music to younger audiences and supports the philanthropic mission of the Weill Music Institute. She is also a board member of Piano Outreach in New York, which provides music education to underprivileged children. In the summer of 1985, Veronica was an intern at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection—a formative experience that she continues to cherish.

Each year a candidate receives a fellowship in Veronica Bulgari’s name of €1,300.

Educator, public servant, and philanthropist Alice Ilchman was a passionate advocate for experiential learning and firmly believed in the value of fellowships, which she described as “work you can learn from.” Her distinguished career included academic roles at the University of California, Berkeley, serving as Dean of Wellesley College, and as President of Sarah Lawrence College. In public service, she was Assistant Secretary of State in the U.S. government, overseeing programs such as the Fulbright Program and U.S. Libraries Abroad.

Ilchman also held leadership roles in philanthropy, including Chair of the Board of the Rockefeller Foundation. She founded the Jeanette K. Watson Fellowship, which provided opportunities to undergraduate students, some of whom went on to participate in the International Program at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

Alice Stone Ilchman Fund

Since 2008, thanks to an endowment from Warren Ilchman and the Ilchman family, each year a candidate with a background in art, art history, or museum studies receives a fellowship of €1,100 a month.

Frederick Ilchman is Chair of the Art of Europe Department at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where he has served for over a decade. He also continues in his role as the Mrs. Russell W. Baker Curator of Paintings, a position he has held at the same institution since 2009. Ilchman joined the Museum of Fine Arts in 2001 as Assistant Curator of Paintings. He has since organized major exhibitions, overseen international loans, and was lead curator for the acclaimed exhibition Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese: Rivals in Renaissance Venice, a collaboration with the Musée du Louvre, Paris. A specialist in Italian Renaissance art, he holds degrees from the universities of Princeton and Columbia, and a Ph.D. from Columbia. He also serves as Chairman for Save Venice Inc.

Ilchman credits his 1992 internship at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection with helping to shape his life’s work.

Since 2014, thanks to a generous donation from the Ilchman family, each year a candidate is selected based on academic achievement, professional aspirations, and above all, motivation to pursue a career in curatorship and receives a fellowship in his name of €1.100 a month.