Houdini

January 13  •  6:00p  •  Online @ flintarts.org 

Guest Lecturer: Dr. Taylor Hagood 

Free and open to the public.

The immigrant son of a Hungarian rabbi, Harry Houdini remains the most famous magician and greatest escape artist the world has known. From his fabulous escapes to his mysterious death, Houdini's life is itself a kind of grand magic illusion filled with a multitude of secrets and still-unsolved mysteries. In this live online lecture, Professor Taylor Hagood unravels the twists and turns of Houdini’s career, reflects on Houdini’s place in American entertainment history, and explores the role of magic as Houdini promoted it in everyday life. Hagood will also discuss magic in Michigan, the site of Houdini’s death but also home to one of the greatest magicians to follow in Houdini’s footsteps and one of the top magic manufacturers in the world.

Taylor Hagood is Professor of American Literature at Florida Atlantic University. He is one of the world’s leading scholars on the writing of William Faulkner. In addition to his scholarship on Faulkner, he has published books and articles on African American women playwrights, Walt Whitman, and various topics in southern United States literature and culture. The child of a magician, Hagood is both a practitioner and historian of magic.

The Sheppy Dog Fund Lecture has been established to address the topics of art, religion and history prior to the 19th century, and is funded by the Sheppy Dog Fund, Dr. Alan Klein, Advisor.

How do I view the lecture?

To view the lecture or participate in the live Q & A with Dr. Hagood via Zoom, click here to register. To watch live via YouTube, click here.

The Silk Road Made Visible

Asian Influence on Medieval European Art

February 10  •  6:00p  •  Online @ flintarts.org 

Guest Lecturer: Dr. Marcus Cruse 

Free and open to the public.

This presentation will discuss the influence of Asian art and materials on the design, production, and collecting of art in Europe in the late Middle Ages. Dr. Cruse will examine the presence of Asian objects in European collections, and the ways in which contact with the East transformed manuscript illumination, monumental painting, sculpture, and other artistic media in Europe.

Mark Cruse is Associate Professor of French in the School of International Letters and Cultures at Arizona State University. His research focuses on the relationship between literature and visual culture in medieval Europe. His publications have examined the legend of Alexander the Great, manuscript illumination, heraldry, the Louvre, and medieval theater, among other subjects. He is currently writing a book on relations between France and Asia in the late Middle Ages.

The Sheppy Dog Fund Lecture has been established to address the topics of art, religion and history prior to the 19th century, and is funded by the Sheppy Dog Fund, Dr. Alan Klein, Advisor.

How do I view the lecture?

Check back soon for links to the lecture.

Image: French. A Knight of the d’Aluye Family, after 1248–by 1267. Limestone, 13 x 33 1/2 × 83 1/2 inches. The Cloisters Collection, 1925. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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Sheppy Dog Fund Lectures

Medieval Matters: Curating the Middle Ages at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Lecture Date: November 18, 2020   Guest Lecturer: Dr. C. Griffith Mann  The Metropolitan Museum of Art possesses the finest, most comprehensive collection of Medieval and Byzantine art in the western hemisphere. It is held in two locations: the galleries of the Met’s main building on 5th Avenue and The Met Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park. This talk will explore the history of these two collections, and consider a selection of outstanding works of art that bring the medieval period compellingly to life.

A Discovery of Witchcraft: Witches, Witch-Hunting, and Magical Practice in Early Modern Europe Lecture Date: October 28, 2020  Guest Lecturer: Dr. Justin Sledge  It has been argued that the “witch craze”—stretching from roughly the mid-15th to the mid-17th centuries and claiming the lives of over 50,000 people, overwhelmingly women—was the first concerted and thus truly pan-European cultural undertaking since the eclipse of the western Roman Empire.

Irish Folk Tales and Halloween Legends Lecture Date: October 23, 2019 Storyteller: Mark Ó Géaráin  Irish Storyteller Mark Ó Géaráin presents the origins of Samhain (pronounced SAH-win) through shadowy, twisted stories marking the beginning of the dark half of the year.

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel… 507 Years Lecture Date: April 9, 2019  Guest Lecturer: Dr. William E. Wallace  Professor Wallace, a world authority on Michelangelo, will illuminate this masterpiece and help you see it with fresh eyes.

Sublime Transmutation: The Art and Science of Alchemy Lecture Date: March 13, 2019 Guest Lecturer: Dr. Justin Sledge  Justin Sledge's presentation is grounded in the history of alchemical art and symbolism. The topic will appeal to everyone from Harry Potter fans, to those interested in the history of science, as well as people interested in the esoteric/occult mysteries of spiritual transmutation.

Unveiling Ancient Beauty: The Hidden Art of Restoration in the Vatican Museums Lecture Date: November 27, 2018 Guest Lecturer: Fr. Kevin Lixey The International Director of the Patron of the Arts in the Vatican Museums will offer an inside view to the fascinating world of art restoration that is carried out on a daily basis in the Vatican Museum’s six on-site restoration laboratories.

Piecing Together the Past: A Curatorial View of Mosaics in Israel Lecture Date: November 14 Guest Lecturer: Tracee J. Glab In Piecing Together the Past, FIA Curator Tracee Glab offers a unique perspective on mosaics she visited during a recent trip to Israel.

Rembrandt’s Representations of Biblical Scenes Lecture Date: August 8, 2018 Guest Lecturer: Dr. Shelley Perlove Dr. Shelley Perlove offers special insights into the trials, passions, temptations, and tragic losses endured by Rembrandt's biblical figures, who were heroic and bigger than life, yet also eminently human and flawed.

The Sheppy Dog Fund Lecture has been established to address the topics of art, religion, and history prior to the 19th century, and is funded by The Sheppy Dog Fund, Dr. Alan Klein, Advisor.

Bray Lectures

African Art Making and Use and Western Collectors Lecture Date: March 2, 2019 Guest Lecturer: Nii O. Quarcoopome, Ph.D. This illustrated lecture reflects on the complexities in African art’s creation and use, to its ultimate commodification in the West.

Exhibition Lectures

Alexis Rockman – Artist Talk Lecture Date: September 16, 2020 Guest Lecturer: Alexis Rockman Artist Alexis Rockman will talk about the making of The Great Lakes Cycle, from his initial research trip around the lakes to the making of the work. This talk will be followed by a q-and-a with Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Tracee Glab.

Black Matters – Q & A Lecture Date: August 19, 2020 Guest Lecturer: Matthew Owen Wead Artist Matthew Owen Wead and Tracee Glab, Curator of Collections and Exhibitions, as they discuss Wead's exhibition Black Matters, featuring woodblock prints based on real individuals killed by police officers or armed vigilantes.