To the House Without Exit

Part One | April 14  •  6:00p  •  Online

Part two | April 21  •  6:00p  •  Online

Guest Lecturer: Dr. Justin Sledge 

Free and open to the public.

Explore the simultaneously fascinating and arcane dimensions of the afterlife! 

It’s thought that there is no more fundamentally religious idea than the afterlife. While ubiquitous in the western world, this concept is both historically and philosophically complicated: How old is this notion? 

Both lectures stand alone, so attending each is not mandatory for understanding this intriguing religious subject. Additionally, both parts will be available for viewing at a later date.

Part One | The Origins of the Afterlife 

Dr. Sledge introduces major historical moments and philosophical afterlife beliefs, exploring the early origins of the concept among the ancient Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Canaanites/Israelites, Greeks, and Persians. Do all cultures develop similar afterlives? Did a now-obscure Persian religion fundamentally alter the afterlife ideas in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?

Part Two | The Flowering of the Afterlife 

Dr. Sledge’s second lecture focuses on the flowering of the afterlife in the centuries forged by early Christianity, rabbinical Judaism, and Islam. Here the concept of heaven and hell is simultaneously organized yet continues to shift and evolve. New questions emerge: Do Jews really downplay or reject the notion of an afterlife? Did Dante’s Divine Comedy reflect on and innovate medieval Christian afterlife? Is it possible to imagine an afterlife without being religious? Registration for this lecture will be made available following Part 1. 

How do I view the lecture?

To view Part 1 of the lecture or participate in the live Q & A with Dr. Sledge via Zoom, click here to register. To watch live via YouTube, click here. 

To view Part 2 of the lecture or participate in the live Q & A with Dr. Sledge via Zoom, click here to register. To watch live via YouTube, click here.

For more instructions on how to view, click here.

The Conservation of Paintings

Historical and Technical Discoveries

May 5  •  Online @ 6:00p 

Guest Lecturer: Barry Bauman 

Free and open to the public.

Barry Bauman will highlight discoveries that he made as an art conservator. Selected works include a 14th century Crucifixion, a Rubens’ Crowning of St. Catherine, and New Testament imagery.

Bauman is the owner of Conservation Ventures (ConservationVentures.org), a company specializing in conservation presentations and government-funded CAP surveys. Barry holds a BA from Beloit College and an MA in Art History from the University of Chicago. He was formerly the Associate Conservator of Paintings for the Art Institute of Chicago. Bauman’s Case Study, “The Demise of Mary Lincoln,” was featured on the front page of the New York Times in an article titled “Mary Lincoln I Presume.” Barry Bauman is an elected Fellow of the American Institute for Conservation.

How do I view the lecture?

To view the lecture or participate in the live Q & A with Barry Bauman via Zoom, click here to register. To watch live via YouTube, click here. For more instructions on how to view, click here.

Notre-Dame of Paris

In the Light of the Fire

June 2 • Online @ 6:00 pm

Guest Lecturer Dr. Lindsay Cook

Hosted by FIA Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Tracee Glab

Free and open to the public.

In April 2019, a catastrophic fire damaged Notre-Dame of Paris, throwing its admirers for a loop and leaving the Gothic cathedral in a fragile and fragmentary state, without a roof or spire. In this illustrated talk, Dr. Lindsay S. Cook will discuss the past, present, and likely future of the cathedral of Paris through its material remains, graphic traces, and digital doubles—including the laser scans produced of the building before and after the fire.

Lindsay S. Cook is Assistant Teaching Professor of Art History in the School of Art at Ball State University. Originally from Chicago, she earned her B.A. in Art History and French & Francophone Studies from Vassar College and her Ph.D. from the Department of Art History & Archaeology at Columbia University. She is an architectural historian, medievalist, digital humanist, translator, and digital preservation advocate. She is the translator of Notre Dame Cathedral: Nine Centuries of History (Penn State University Press, 2020), a content editor of the open-access databases Mapping Gothic France and Musiconis, co-editor of The Notre-Dame Translation Project, and chair of the Digital Resources Committee of the International Center of Medieval Art (ICMA).

How do I view the lecture?

To view the lecture or participate in the live Q & A with Dr. Lindsay Cook via Zoom, click here to register. To watch live via YouTube, click here. For more instructions on how to view, click here.

Media Sponsor

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.

Sheppy Dog Fund Lectures

The Silk Road Made Visible: Asian Influence on Medieval European Art Lecture Date: February 10 Guest Lecturer: Dr. Mark Cruse This presentation discusses the influence of Asian art and materials on the design, production, and collecting of art in Europe in the late Middle Ages. Dr. Cruse examines 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.

Houdini Lecture Date: January 13 Guest Lecturer: Dr. Taylor Hagood 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.

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.