Talks + Lectures

With Dr. Constantine Vaporis, Professor of History and Founding Director, Asian Studies Program University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Thu, Jul 11, 2024 | 6:30–7:30 pm
Reynolds Lecture Hall
$8 (VMFA members $5)

Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Samurai Armor from the Collection of Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller, this talk will explore the transformation of Japan from its era of warring states to its era of peace. Constantine Vaporis, PhD, will explore three historical samurai figures from different regions of Japan: Yamauchi Kazutoyo (1545–1605), an obscure samurai who rose from the violence of civil war to become a daimyo (lord); Kumazawa Banzan (1619–1691), a zealous warrior who came to understand that his future lay in becoming a scholar-official; and Mori Masana (1803–1873), the non-inheriting fourth son of a samurai who became a scholar, an ardent collector of art, and the lord’s bodyguard. Dr. Vaporis will connect the national transformation to these samurai and their armor, helmets, weapons, clothing, and martial practices.

To view from home, visit our livestream page.

Constantine Vaporis teaches Japanese and East Asian history at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and is its Founding Director of the Asian Studies Program. His numerous fellowships for research in Japanese history include a Fulbright Scholar’s Award and an NEH Fellowship for College Teachers. He is the author of many books, including Samurai: An Encyclopedia of Japan’s Cultured Warriors (2022).

Sun, Oct 6, 2024
2–3 pm
Leslie Cheek Theater
$8 (VMFA members, $5)

Join Alex Nyerges, VMFA Director & CEO, for a talk about the exhibition he has curated, American, born Hungary: Kertész, Capa, and the Hungarian American Photographic Legacy. The exhibition of more than 170 photographs plus related ephemera examines the works of Hungarian-born American artists and their influence on photography since the early 20th century.   

ASL interpretation will be provided during this program. 
Livestream will also be available. 
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Martinique, 1972, André Kertész (American, born Hungary, 1894–1985), gelatin silver print. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Endowment, 2018.206. Estate of André Kertész