Again, a hard question! Several modules were standouts: the module on real-world art crime from the perspective of a retired Inspector of Scotland Yard's Art & Antiques Unit; the module on museum security with a real-world security “stealth” audit in Rome; the units on variations in and nuances of art law; art insurance; the courses on looting of art (including, but not exclusively, Nazi looting).

How did the international nature of the program influence your learning experience?

Art and art crime are inherently international. Looted items cross oceans and countries, for example. A faculty and fellow students from multiple countries not only fit the nature of art crime, but gave us multiple perspectives on the issues.

Were you able to use insights from your own career in the ARCA program?

Absolutely! I attended ARCA in 2019, and, of course, countries and then virtually the world shut down for two years because of COVID. During the US shutdown, although I was alone, I was never lonely. I wrote two art crime books and a few lengthy vignettes to be integrated into a third book. So much of my writing was based on what I had learned in the ARCA program. ARCA gave me the fuel to create and prosper, despite the shutdown.

What was it like to live and study in Amelia, Italy?

Absolutely fabulous, though HOT in the summer. The wonderful CEO of ARCA made sure that we knew of local festivals, such as a religious procession where the townspeople decorated the sidewalks, using flour, ground coffee, fresh flower petals, and small pieces of colored paper to create designs. The piece de resistance, however, was the Palio dei Colombi. This is not a horse race like Siena's, but a historic medieval festival (rievocazione storica) held annually, celebrating Amelia's patron saint, St. Fermina, featuring crossbow contests (Balestrieri), parades with flag-wavers, historical costumes, and friendly rivalry between Amelia's historic districts (Contrade) for the coveted 'Colombi' (Doves) banner. Authentic and incredible.

Can you share a memorable interaction you had with faculty, guest speakers, or fellow students?

Again, there were so many!

· The retired head of Scotland Yard’s Art and Antiquities squad had described in class the identification, arrest, and trial of a Brit who had smuggled numerous looted Egyptian antiquities into the UK, many coated in resin and painted to look like tourist trash. 

· Our professor for art insurance divided the class into teams and asked us to create an art insurance skit, using our new knowledge to settle the claim. Someone on my team got the brilliant idea of a conceptual piece of art displayed at a local museum: dust bunnies artfully arranged that the daily cleaner thought were ordinary dirt and vacuumed up. I was useless at my team’s presentation because I was laughing so hard.

· On a very hot day, we tumbled like puppies out of our classroom in the cloister of the Church of St. Francis Assisi, heading for our beloved gelato shop to buy gallons of cooling lemon sorbet made from lemons from Naples the size of grapefruit.

· During the Palio festival, we ate at pop up restaurants all over town and walked out on an outcropping of Amelia’s hill to absorb the views of the surrounding countryside with a full moon rising.

· Again, during the Palio festival, we watched the long procession of townspeople dressed in beautifully made medieval costumes walk solemnly down the main street to the beating of drums.

What advice would you give to someone considering applying for the 2026 session?

This is a serious and high quality program with excellent standards. You work hard—readings, class presentations (papers, skits), short papers, and a longer paper due about two months after the end of the program. But, as with everything in life, if you invest focus and time, you get so much back. And all of this occurs in an in an enchanting country and in an enchanting Umbrian hill town that dates to the Etruscans. The head of the program is incredible. Yes, she expects us to work, but she ensures that we have fun and take advantage of being in a splendid part of the world.

How has your understanding of art crime evolved since completing the program?

My understanding of art crime has shot past headline stories such as the latest Louvre heist. It is substantially more complex and nuanced. The art world is Janus-faced. We all know the face of sublime human artistic achievement on one side. But on the other side, it is a poxy tart. Greed, revenge, moral shortcuts, all disguised by the rarified atmosphere of great art and exclusive transactions in the art market.

In one sentence: why should someone join ARCA's program?

This was the most profound experience of my life. If you want to learn about complexities of art crime (endlessly fascinating) and want unforgettable memories, JUST GO! You will never, never regret it.


About Sue Berryman

Dr. Sue Berryman taught at the Harvard Business School, worked as a senior analyst at the RAND Corporation, directed the Institute on Education and the Economy at Columbia University, and worked with the technical team of the World Bank. In her last few years, she has been writing art crime novels based on the wealth of learning facilitated by the ARCA Program.


* Dr Edgar Tijhuis is Academic Director at ARCA and is responsible for coordinating ARCA’s postgraduate certificate programmes. Since 2009, he has also taught criminology modules within ARCA's PG Certification programming.