Anne R. Fabbri

Anne R. Fabbri, 98, of Wayne, the former art critic, museum director, and educator, died at 98.

 Ms. Fabbri was an ardent advocate for the importance of the arts in modern culture. She was a prolific writer about the Philadelphia art world. She wrote reviews about Philadelphia art exhibitions and public art, and she penned many thought pieces about the importance of art and the interplay between art, culture, and modern life. Her articles appeared in the Philadelphia Bulletin, The Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Style Magazine, Art In America, Art Matters, The American Artist, The Art Newspaper, Ambassador Magazine, The Drummer, The Broad Street Review, and many other journals.

A 1947 cum laude graduate of Harvard University’s Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Ms. Fabbri was among the first female students merged into the classes at the previously all-male Harvard College. In 1971 she earned her Masters degree in History of Art at Bryn Mawr College. She was twice selected as a Fellow in the National Endowment for the Humanities advanced study programs with fellowships at the University of California at Berkley in 1979 and at Princeton University in 1980.

From 1980 until 2000, Ms. Fabbri served as director and curator at three art museums in the Philadelphia region. She was Director of the Deshong Art Museum at Widener University from 1980 to 1982. From 1982 to 1991 she was the Founding Director and Curator of the Noyes Museum in Oceanville, New Jersey. From 1991 to 2000 she was Director and Curator of the Paley Design Center at Philadelphia University, now known as The Design Center at Jefferson University.

During the 1970s, Ms. Fabbri worked mostly in the field of art education. She served as Acting Chairman of the Fine Arts Department at Villanova University where she also maintained full teaching responsibilities in the fields of modern art and history of art. While at Villanova she initiated an artist-in-residence program and organized many art and music events, lectures and exhibitions for the campus community.

Later, at Drexel University, Ms. Fabbri taught numerous courses on renaissance art, baroque art, and art of the twentieth century. She also taught courses at Rosemont College, Moore College of Art and Design, and Main Line Night School. Earlier, during the 1960’s, Ms. Fabbri served as Museum Guide at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

From 1999 to 2010 Ms. Fabbri was Chairman of the advisory committee for Philadelphia’s Art In City Hall program which provided public exhibition venues to Philadelphia-based artists and cultural organizations. She also served on the advisory committee of the Main Line Art Center and she chaired the New Visions Philadelphia Furniture Exhibition for several years.

Ms. Fabbri was fluent in the Italian language and she traveled frequently to Italy to study its Renaissance art and architecture with a special research interest in Leonardo DaVinci’s "Last Supper” painting in Milan. In the course of her travels, Ms. Fabbri visited more than twenty-three countries in her quest to observe art and cultures, but she maintained a special love for the Italian city of Venice.

Ms. Fabbri is survived by her three children, Virginia (Ginny) Butera, Remo (Ray) Butera, and Joseph (Jay) Butera and his wife, Bernadette; her grandchildren, Alanna Butera, Laura Butera, Kayleigh Butera, and Will Butera; and her brother, Remo Fabbri Jr., MD.

A service in celebration of Ms. Fabbri’s life will be held 2:00 PM Sunday, October 6, 2024 in the Goodhart Hall Music Annex at Bryn Mawr College 150 N. Merion Ave, Bryn Mawr, Pa 19010. 

Donations may be made in her name to the Bryn Mawr Hospital Foundation, Nursing Leadership Fund, 240 N. Radnor Chester Road, Suite 340, Radnor, PA 19087.

Ms. Fabbri's obituary was published in the Inquirer as well. Here is the link where you can view the obituary in the Inquirer. https://www.inquirer.com/obituaries/anne-fabbri-obituary-art-critic-professor-norristown-philadelphia-daily-news-20240904.html