Michelle Young : The art spy
the true story about WWII resistance hero and art historian Rose Valland
Date
Location
Sponsors
Admission
Open to the public
RSVP required
$5 | General admission
FREE | Salmagundi members
About the Event
Named a Best Book of 2025 by the New York Public Library, The Art Spy is a riveting saga set in Paris during World War II that uncovers how an unlikely heroine infiltrated the Nazi leadership to save the world’s most treasured masterpieces of art. The book’s award-winning author Michelle Young will be in conversation with Julia Gamolina, founder of Madame Architect, an award-winning media and events platform spotlighting women shaping the built environment.
Salmagundi members and Madame Architect readers will learn about, among the rich topics to be discussed, the glittering avant garde art world in 1930s Paris, Hitler’s failed quest to be an artist and how art played a pivotal role in the Third Reich, the secret lives of art historians in the French Resistance, and the crucial information that Valland bravely collected in the face of constant danger.
The speakers will also discuss the story behind the book’s creation and how the author’s background as an art historian, urban planner, and professor of architecture, shaped the research and the narrative. Copies of The Art Spy will be available for purchase at the event from The Strand Bookstore and Michelle will be signing books.
About the Speakers
Michelle Young is an award-winning journalist and author. Her latest book, The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of World War II Resistance Hero Rose Valland was named a Best Book of 2025 by the New York Public Library, Library Journal, and Hyperallergic. The Art Spy is also a finalist for the Marfield Prize—The National Award for Arts Writing—The Lambda Literary Prize, and the Massachusetts Book Award, and was
longlisted for the 2025 American Library of Paris Book Award.
Michelle’s work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Airmail, The Forward, Town & Country, and Narratively. She is a graduate of Harvard College in the History of Art and Architecture and holds a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, where she is a Professor of Architecture. She is the founder of the publication Untapped
New York.
Julia Gamolina is an Associate Principal at Ennead Architects and Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Madame Architect, an award-winning media and events platform spotlighting women shaping the built environment. Since launching the publication in 2018, she has grown its global readership to more than 100 countries. Julia leads strategic visibility initiatives at Ennead and is a frequent speaker, writer, educator, and juror. She holds a B.Arch from Cornell University and is based in New York City.
Special Thank You
With special thanks to Susan Horton and Eric Rayman for making this event possible due to their support and sponsorship.
Hungry?
Ticketed attendees may reserve for dinner in the dining room (a normally member-exclusive benefit) via our Reservations page with the message “Art Spy talk”. Reservations must be made in advance after RSVP-ing.