​​​April & May Public Talk Descriptions

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​April 2026 Public Talk Descriptions

 

A Sisterhood of Sculptors: American Ex-Patriots in Rome

From about 1850 to 1876 a fearless band of nineteenth-century Americans defied Victorian conventions of womanhood and traveled to Italy to become professional sculptors. The cause of these women was to fight for their art, and in doing so, they also took on the battle for abolition and women’s suffrage. They paved the way for the invention of modern womanhood and served as models for a younger generation of women artists. One of these pioneers was Edmonia Lewis, and the first retrospective of her work is now on view at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. Although Lewis and the other extraordinary artists in this talk may be unfamiliar to us today, their remarkable works deserve to be seen and their captivating stories merit telling.

 

Holocaust Art: This Happened

After the end of World War II, writers and philosophers maintained that the Nazi death camps defied representation; no art could ever do justice to the barbarity. Yet survivors have forced themselves to try to make sense of the horrors they endured— in literature, in music, and in visual art. And now, as Auschwitz recedes into the historical distance and the last survivors disappear, the world cannot afford to forget the legacy these artists have left. This presentation will examine the remarkable work of several painters, some who survived and some who did not.

 

Andy Warhol: One Singular Sensation

Few American artists are as celebrated and notorious as Andy Warhol. His iconic paintings, silk screens, photography, films, and sculptures have become indelible representations of the American aesthetic, exploring the relationship between artistic expression and celebrity culture. This presentation will examine Warhol’s life and art from his beginnings as a commercial illustrator in the 1950s, to his iconic Pop masterpieces of the early 1960s, to the avant-garde films from the 1960s and '70s, to his innovative use of readymade abstraction in the 1980s.

 

Marcel Duchamp: The Alchemist of the Avant-Garde

Open the dictionary to the word “iconoclast,” and you will see a picture of Marcel Duchamp. He challenged the standards and beliefs of the art world and ushered in a new era of creative license—the reverberations of which are still felt in contemporary art today. Duchamp’s imagination was aroused by elements of Cubism, Surrealism, and even Pop Art, but his resourcefulness meant continuous self-reinvention and deliberate inconsistency. He once said, “I have forced myself to contradict myself in order to avoid conforming to my own taste.” Come and learn about his innovative works and the shockwaves they produced. A blockbuster Duchamp retrospective opens at the Museum of Modern Art on April 12, 2026.

 

Raphael: Artist and Visionary

The Italian painter and architect Raphael became one of the defining figures of the High Renaissance — revered for his grace, harmony, and masterful balance of beauty and structure. His lyrical use of form, color, and composition not only defined an era but continues to shape our understanding of artistic perfection. The Metropolitan Museum of Art will exhibit more than 200 of his drawings, paintings, tapestries, and decorative works from collections around the world from March 29 to June 28, 2026, and this presentation will be a unique window into Raphael’s creative process and the depth of his artistic thinking. 

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May 2026 Public Talk Descriptions

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Art and Activism: The Life and Legacy of Ruth Asawa

The groundbreaking work of Ruth Asawa, a Japanese American sculptor and passionate arts activist, will be the subject of a blockbuster retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art from October 19, 2025 to February 7, 2026. Asawa was best known for her ethereal wire sculptures that blur the boundaries between art, craft, and nature, but her extensive body of work also includes paintings, printmaking, and public commissions. Asawa’s legacy extends far beyond the studio—she was a tireless advocate for arts education, believing deeply in its power to shape communities and young minds. This presentation will explore her remarkable life, her artistic innovations, and her enduring impact on American art and public life.

 

Vincent van Gogh: Color, Passion, and Pain

Throughout his life, Vincent van Gogh was poor, often hungry and ill.  When he died in 1890 at the age of 37, it seemed that his work would be forgotten.  All that has changed, and Vincent is now perhaps the most famous painter of all.  This talk will look at Vincent’s life through his colorful, bold and passionate paintings. Although his works were created many years ago, these remarkable images capture the world in a modern and exciting way.

 

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec: Painter & Printmaker of the Parisian Demi-Monde

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a post-Impressionist painter, printmaker, and illustrator who immersed himself in the colorful and sometimes decadent world of Paris’s circuses, theaters, cabarets, and brothels. Because he was an aristocrat born with a rare physical condition, he was more accepted by this cohort of outsiders than by the society of his peers. He recorded his experiences in enticing, elegant, and provocative images, which we will explore as we learn about his brief, extraordinary life.

 

Three Visionary Women / Three Great Art Museums

What does a woman do when she is born to great privilege, has enormous wealth, loves to travel to faraway places, and has a healthy dose of intellectual curiosity? Well, she collects art of course! And then she must envision a place to exhibit her treasures so that the world can appreciate her passion. This talk will examine the lives of three remarkable women who defied society’s expectations: Isabella Stewart Gardner, Helene Kröller-Müller, and Peggy Guggenheim. We will trace the steps each took to amass three of the most important collections of art in the world. And we will see some amazing paintings, too!

 

Raphael: Artist and Visionary

The Italian painter and architect Raphael became one of the defining figures of the High Renaissance — revered for his grace, harmony, and masterful balance of beauty and structure. His lyrical use of form, color, and composition not only defined an era but continues to shape our understanding of artistic perfection. The Metropolitan Museum of Art will exhibit more than 200 of his drawings, paintings, tapestries, and decorative works from March 29 to June 28, 2026, and this presentation will be a unique window into Raphael’s creative process and the depth of his artistic thinking.

 

Marcel Duchamp: The Alchemist of the Avant-Garde

Open the dictionary to the word “iconoclast,” and you will see a picture of Marcel Duchamp. He challenged the standards and beliefs of the art world and ushered in a new era of creative license—the reverberations of which are still felt in contemporary art today. Duchamp’s imagination was aroused by elements of Cubism, Surrealism, and even Pop Art, but his resourcefulness meant continuous self-reinvention and deliberate inconsistency. He once said, “I have forced myself to contradict myself in order to avoid conforming to my own taste.” Come and learn about his innovative works and the shockwaves they produced. A blockbuster Duchamp retrospective opened at the Museum of Modern Art on April 12, 2026.