​​​ July & August 2026 Public Talk Descriptions​​​​​

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July 2026 Public Talk Descriptions

 

Mickalene Thomas: Subverting the Familiar

Mickalene Thomas has given us vivid and multifaceted artworks—paintings, collage, photography, video, and site-specific installations. Her work addresses our common perceptions of beauty, sexuality, celebrity, and politics, and expands and subverts these notions in original and complex ways. The subject of a major international tour in 2024 through 2025,  Mickalene Thomas has assumed her rightful place in the pantheon of the most important, original, and inspiring artists of the 21st Century.

 

  Tempestuous Beauty:

        How Artists throughout the Ages Were Inspired by Flowers and Gardens

Artists have long been drawn to the natural world to stimulate their creativity. The rich symbolism, diverse color palettes, and delicate, changing nature of flowers have been a source of inspiration across cultures for centuries. Come join us for this talk; we will be introduced to an array of astonishing images from throughout art history, some iconic and some unfamiliar, reminding us why flowers and gardens give us hope, nourish our souls, and elicit pleasure and happiness.

 

Edward Hopper: Alienated Majesty

A roadside gas pump, a nondescript diner, a bleak hotel room—Edward Hopper had a remarkable ability to invest the most ordinary scene with intense mystery and emotional depth. He created enigmatic narratives that are not easily unraveled. His vision lingered on uncanny depictions of New England towns, New York City architecture, and simple, stark, yet intimate interpretations of American life. Exact time and place always seem arrested. He created more than 800 paintings, watercolors, and prints, as well as numerous drawings and illustrations. This talk will reveal why so many claim Hopper to be the supreme American realist of the 20th Century.

 

Pierre-Auguste Renoir: Painting the Joys of Life

Pierre-Auguste Renoir's philosophy can be summed up in this quote: "A picture must be an amiable thing, joyous and pretty-- yes, pretty!  There are enough troublesome things in life without inventing others." Renoir's joie de vivre made him one of the most beloved Impressionist painters, although he harbored a dark side to his veneer of amiability. This talk will examine his long and productive life with all its contradictions and survey his voluptuous nudes, luxurious flowers, pretty children, bustling Parisian streets, and sunny outdoor scenes that are full of people and fun.

 

Who are The Nabis, and Why Don’t I Know These Amazing Artists?

The Nabis, whose name means prophet in Hebrew, were a group of artists whose spiritual, emotional and aesthetic inspiration came from Paul Gauguin and the Symbolist poets. They had one foot in the 19th Century and one foot in the 20th. Although they are not as famous as the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, the work of Bonnard, Vuillard, Denis, Vallotton, and their compatriots was just as innovative and original. Come explore what stirred The Nabis to create works with expressive and transcendent connections to the divine in nature.

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August 2026 Public Talk Descriptions

 

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 recently exhibited more than 200 of his drawings, paintings, tapestries, and decorative works in a blockbuster retrospective exhibition. If you could not get to the Met or you would like to know more, this presentation will provide a unique window into Raphael's creative process and the depth of his artistic thinking.

 

Henri Matisse: Master of Color, Magician of Modernism

The remarkable career of Henri Matisse, one of the most influential artists of the Twentieth Century, fundamentally altered the course of modern art. Spanning six and a half decades, his vast creative output encompassed painting, drawing, sculpture, graphic arts, and paper cutouts. This talk will examine his extraordinary life and many of his important works. His friend and sometime rival Pablo Picasso once said,” All things considered, there is only Matisse.”