SPEAKERS ON THE ARTS

This program has been organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and is supported, in part, by the Paul Mellon Endowment and the Jean Stafford Camp Memorial Fund.

Menokin is a community partner of the VMFA.

 

Historic Architecture Talk
Wednesday May 27, 2015
2:00 – 4:00 pm

Retired Senior Architectural Historian for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Calder Loth, will speak about the significance of the architecture and history of Menokin and other 18th Century Northern Neck homes.

Mr. Loth’s professional credentials include: Instructor in Architectural Literacy for the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art • Member of the Virginia Art and Architectural Review Board • Vice President for the Center of Palladian Studies in America • Member of advisory committees for: Kenmore, Stratford Hall, Gunston Hall, University of Virginia, Battersea, Maryland State House

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Return to the Flame or Retreat from the Heat:
The New Wheel Order
Wednesday June 24, 2015
2:00 – 4:00 pm
The New Wheel Order is a restoration and expansion of the notion of function in ceramic art. It involves the consideration of optical warmth as well as optical worth and regards function beyond mere utility. It asks the question, “When does meaning occur,” that is to say the actual experience of art. Does this experience happen in the museum, gallery or the kitchen? There is so much careerism masquerading as education that the salient issues of Craft and Creativity are often elided right out of the conversation. The New Wheel Order is akin to Cezanne’s quest for the truth as he said, “Truth lies not in verisimilitude but in how things are.”

VMFA Resident Potter Steven Glass will discuss these ideas and conduct a power point presentation of contemporary ceramic art.

Steven Glass has taught pottery at VMFA and other institutions since 1982. He has conducted pottery residencies in Great Britain and Korea and is a member of the board of the Cub Creek Pottery Foundation.

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The Grand Tour: “Spring Break” for the 18th-Century Man
Wednesday July 29, 2015
2:00 – 4:00 pm

The Grand Tour: “Spring Break” for the 18th-Century Man For most young men, the Grand Tour, a hallmark coming-of-age trip through France and Italy, was a folly, but for others it was a completely different experience. With the ever-popular Neoclassical movement continuing to take hold in Europe, artists like Benjamin West saw the Grand Tour as an opportunity for inspiration. Take a grand tour through the art and culture of this era and see how the classical past came alive again in 18th-century Britain and France. Art Historian Elizabeth Cruickshanks will lead the program.

Elizabeth Cruickshanks earned both an MA in the History of Art & Architecture and a BA in Art History at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va. Her Master’s work concentrated on the art of 18th-Century Europe. Ms. Cruickshanks worked in the Department of Art & Education at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts for almost five years, and currently serves as a VMFA Statewide Speaker on the Arts.

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Face Value: Portraiture in American Art
Wednesday August 26, 2015
2:00 – 4:00 pm

Portraiture in American art ranges from folk to classical and from realism to impressionism. Delve into these stylistic variances with a visual exploration of painted portraits of Americans by Americans. Explore works in significant portrait collections across America, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of Art. and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Margaret Hancock holds her M.Ed from the University of Virginia and her B.A. in Art History from Duke University. She owns and operates Margaret Hancock Studio, curating art exhibitions and educational programming for a variety of institutions. Margaret is the former Director of Programs and Curator for the Virginia Center for Architecture. Her resume also includes the Savannah College of Art and Design, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and an internship with the National Gallery of Art.