FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 5, 2025
Media Contact: J.A. Lyon, Director of Marketing & Communications, jlyon@monticello.org
Chef Marc Murphy
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – The Thomas Jefferson Foundation, the private, nonprofit organization that owns and operates Monticello, announced today the launch of Culinary Diplomacy at Monticello. Presented in partnership with The Culinary Diplomacy Project, this dynamic new series will feature prominent chefs, culinary experts, and historians exploring the intersection of food, history, and culture.
Inspired by Thomas Jefferson’s legendary dinners which were renowned for their cuisine and conversation, this series will share how food has been—and continues to be—a bridge for cultural understanding and communication.
“Food has always been a vehicle for connection, and there’s no better place to explore the power of culinary diplomacy than Monticello,” said Jane Kamensky, president of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. “By inviting today’s most innovative chefs to interpret historic recipes and share their stories, we continue Jefferson’s tradition of using food to foster community, curiosity, and conversation.”
Culinary Diplomacy at Monticello will launch during Civic Season 2025 and continue throughout 2026 with quarterly events. The inaugural Culinary Diplomacy programming this June will feature Chef Marc Murphy.
Guests can participate in two ways. On June 26, join us at the David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center at Monticello for a Culinary Conversation with Chef Murphy. This program will feature Chef Murphy discussing his own global culinary experiences and attendees will have the opportunity to savor his specially-crafted dish inspired by the event’s theme. Tickets available here.
On June 27, enjoy a curated dinner menu and evening discussion with Chef Murphy. Each of the three courses will include Monticello-grown ingredients and draw inspiration from Jefferson’s years in Paris, where he embraced refined French cuisine. This intimate dining experience offers a rare opportunity to explore history through food, all while enjoying breathtaking views from Montalto, Jefferson’s high mountain. Limited seating is available. Tickets available here.
About Chef Murphy
Son of a globetrotting diplomat, Chef Murphy brings over 30 years of experience from kitchens worldwide to the heart of New York City. He appears regularly as a judge on Food Network's top-rated shows including “Chopped,” “Guy's Grocery Games,” “Guy's Ranch Kitchen,” “Beat Bobby Flay,” and more. He currently hosts intimate private dining events at MM Kitchen Studio in New York City and monthly dinners at his pop-up restaurant concept, Marc179.
Today, Murphy's involvement in the industry moves beyond the kitchen. Having led the Manhattan chapter of the New York State Restaurant Association and passionately supporting organizations like City Harvest, No Kid Hungry, Made by Dyslexia, and The Culinary Diplomacy Project.
In 2022, Murphy joined Chef José Andrés and his organization, World Central Kitchen, where he spent two months cooking for and feeding thousands of Ukrainian refugees as they crossed the border into Poland.
About the Culinary Diplomacy Project
The Culinary Diplomacy Project is a chef-driven nonprofit organization that sends prominent chefs to destinations around the world as representatives of American culture and cuisine. They use food, the great common denominator, to connect and learn about the people they are visiting, while also sharing their own culture. Following each international trip, the chefs engage with American audiences by participating in events around the country designed to share their experiences.
Through these activities the Culinary Diplomacy Project acts as a resource, builds networks, and brings communities together in an effort to bridge the cultural divide one bite at a time. For information, visit culinarydiplomacyproject.org.
Culinary Diplomacy images and assets available for download here.
About The Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation was incorporated in 1923 to preserve Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Today, the foundation seeks to bring history forward into national and global dialogues by engaging audiences with Jefferson’s world and ideas and inviting them to experience the power of place at Monticello and on its website. Monticello is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, a United Nations World Heritage Site and a Site of Conscience. As a private, nonprofit organization, the foundation’s regular operating budget does not receive ongoing government support to fund its twofold mission of preservation and education. For information, visit monticello.org.