Chasing Aphrodite at the National Press Club

Jason Felch and Ralph Frammolino, investigative journalists and authors of "Chasing Aphrodite: The Hunt for Looted Antiquities at the World’s Richest Museum" will join Gary Vikan, director of the Walters Art Museum and Arthur Houghton, a former curator at the Getty Museum, to discuss looted antiquities and transparency in American museums at 6 p.m. Jan. 24 in the National Press Club ballroom.

The event will be moderated by James Grimaldi, investigative reporter for the Washington Post.

In "Chasing Aphrodite," their gripping art world detective story, Felch and Frammolino reveal the inner workings of the J. Paul Getty Museum and its quest to build a worldclass collection of Roman and Greek art. Hubris, greed and ethics are key themes in the book, which culminates with Italy’s criminal indictment of the Getty’s antiquities curator and the return of $1 billion of ancient objects from U.S. museums and private collections.

"Chasing Aphrodite" gives an unparalleled glimpse into the reality that lies behind many of America’s collections of ancient art. It is the culmination of five years of reporting that began with a Los Angeles Times series for which Felch and Frammolino were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in 2006.

The National Press Club is located at 529 14th Street, NW - 13th Floor, Washington, DC 20045.