Talks + Lectures

With Dr. Ronni Baer, the Allen R. Adler, Class of 1967, Distinguished Curator and Lecturer at the Princeton University Art Museum

Wed, Sep 15, 2024
6:30–7:30 pm
$8 (VMFA members $5)
Leslie Cheek Theater

Join us for the inaugural Jordan and Thomas A. Saunders III Lecture in the newly renovated Leslie Cheek Theater, presented by Dr. Ronni Baer, the Allen R. Adler, Class of 1967, Distinguished Curator and Lecturer at the Princeton University Art Museum. Dr. Baer will explore work by 17th-century Dutch artists Rembrandt van Rijn, Frans Hals, and Gerrit Dou. Paintings by Hals and Dou are currently on view in the Saunders Collection. 

In the 17th century, Dutch art theorists discussed two distinct styles of painting: the neat or smooth and the rough or loose. Neat painting was believed to engage the viewer for a long time, delighting the eye. By contrast, the rough style was considered “modern” and said to have the power to move the observer. Participants will be encouraged to look closely at works of art and consider the choices the artists made at the easel.

The Jordan and Thomas A. Saunders III Lecture is presented by a scholar annually to foster the study and appreciation of European art. It is made possible through the generous support of the Saunders family.

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Image: Man Writing in an Artist’s Studio, 1631–32, Gerrit Dou (Dutch, 1613–1675), oil on panel. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Jordan and Thomas A Saunders III Collection
 

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

Thu, Oct 10, 2024
6:30–7:30 pm
Leslie Cheek Theater
$8 ($5 VMFA members)

Join Dr. Sarah Kennel, VMFA’s Aaron Siskind Curator of Photography, Director of the Raysor Center, and Exhibition Curator, for a talk to explore the American South’s distinct, evolving, and contradictory character through an examination of photography from the 19th century to the present. A Long Arc: Photography and the American South since 1845 examines how photographers working in the region have reckoned with the South’s fraught history and poses urgent questions about American identity. 
 
ASL interpretation will be provided during this program. 
Livestream will also be available. 
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Jackson, Mississippi, 1972, printed 1986, William Eggleston (American, born 1939), dry transfer print. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, funds provided by the Museum Purchase Program of the National Endowment for the Arts, matching funds provided by the Volunteer Committees of Art Museums, 89.50. ©️ artist or artist’s estate

With Dr. George Shackelford, Deputy Director of the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, and author of Bonnard's Worlds

Thu, Nov 14, 2024
6:30–7:30 pm
Free, tickets required.
Leslie Cheek Theater

Whether at “Ma Roulotte,” their house in Normandy, or at “Le Bosquet,” the Côte d’Azur property they bought in 1926, Pierre and Marthe Bonnard made themselves very much at home. The landscape surrounding their houses, their gardens and terraces, and the rooms within provided the painter with the principal subjects for his brush. Dr. George Shackelford, author of Bonnard’s Worlds, will be the guide for a look at these private places through space and across time.

Established in memory of Paul Mellon—the museum’s longest serving trustee and one of its most generous benefactors—the Paul Mellon Lecture is presented annually by a distinguished scholar to foster the study and appreciation of the arts and is supported by the Paul Mellon Endowment.

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Image: The Dining Room, ca. 1940-47, Pierre Bonnard (French, 1867-1947), oil on canvas. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 2006.46

Thu, Dec 5, 2024
6:30–7:30 pm
$8 (VMFA members, $5)
Leslie Cheek Theater

In conjunction with the exhibition, A Long Arc: Photography and the American South since 1845, join us for an evening with artist and writer Sally Mann, who will read an excerpt from her forthcoming book.

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Image: Sally Mann standing in a field in the Delta. Photo by Dave Munn and courtesy of Sally Mann.