FIA Theater
The book of magic, filled with strange symbols and incantations, has become a core symbol in the history and folklore of sorcery. These volumes haunt the imagination of art, literature, film, and gaming--but what do we actually know about the real, historical books of magic? In this two-part lecture, Dr. Sledge will trace the history of the magical book.
Dr. Sledge earned his undergraduate degree at Millsaps College then went for a DRS in religious studies (Western Esotericism and Related Currents) at the Universteit van Amsterdam and a MA and PhD in philosophy at the University of Memphis. He is currently a part-time professor of philosophy and religion at several institutions in the Metro Detroit area and a popular local educator.
Top image: Simon Vouet, French, 1590-1649, Armida, the Sorceress, Calls Upon the Powers of Magic to Avenge Her Loss, ca. 1633-1637, Wall and silk (modern cotton lining), 181 x 92 inches. Gift of Viola E. Bray, 2005.124.8.
FIA Theater
Looking closely at works in the FIA's European and American collections, this talk will explore how death is depicted, contemplated, and memorialized in art. From sacred to secular works--objects made for an altar to personal portraits of loss--artists have interpreted the inevitability of death in ways beautiful, mysterious, and sublime.
Tracee Glab is the Curator of Collections and Exhibitions at the Flint Institute of Arts. She has her MA in Art History from Wayne State University and BA in Art History from University of Michigan-Dearborn. Prior to her position in F.int, she worked for 10 years at the Detroit Institute of Arts, editing several collection and exhibition catalogues, as well as serving as the editor of the museum's scholarly journal.
Top image: Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, Spanish, 1746-1828, The Death of Saint Joseph, 1787, oil on canvas, 21 & 7/16 x 16 & 3/16 inches. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William L. Richards through the Viola E. Bray Charitable Trust, 1967.19.
FIA Theater
In 1878, fragments of what appeared to be an ancient copy of portions of the Biblical book of Deuteronomy were found in a cave along the east side of the Dead Sea.
Purchased by a Jerusalem antiquities dealer, Moses Shapira, he presented them to scholars who declared them to be modern forgeries. The Shapira fragments were eventually auctioned off and disappeared. But recently headlines in The New York Times asked, "What if they were real?" Scholars have proposed that the case be reopened in light of our current knowledge of ancient texts. If authentic, they would be the oldest copies of biblical texts ever discord.
Dr. James Tabor's PhD is from University of Chicago, and he is a Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he teaches Christian origins and ancient Judaism and served as Chair for a decade.
Top photo: Shapira Scroll (partial).
FIA Theater
This presentation will explore the evolution of the Last Supper in Italian art, beginning with early Christian images through to the late Renaissance, including one of the world's most famous works of art: Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper.
Dr. Rocky Ruggiero has a PhD in Art History and Visual Culture from the University of Exeter and has been a professor of art and architectural history since 1999.
Top photo: Leonardo da Vinci, Italian, 1452-1519, Las Supper, ca. 1495-1498, oil, tempera, fresco, 280 x 350 inches. Santa Maria dell Grazie, Milan.
The Sheppy Dog Fund Lecture has been established to address the topics of art, religion, and history, and is funded annually by The Sheppy Dog Fund, Dr. Alan Klein, Advisor.
| Archived lectures from 2020-2022 | |
|---|---|
The Sheppy Dog Fund Lecture: From Cordoba To Cardamon: The World of The Cairo Geniza Guest Lecturer: Dr. Gary Rendsburg During the 1890s, the contents of the Cairo Geniza, the storeroom of the Ben Ezra Synagogue built ca. 900 in Fustat (Old Cairo), came to the attention of scholars in England and elsewhere. The discoveries constituted nothing less than a revolution in the student of the Middle Ages. | The Sheppy Dog Fund Lecture | The Book of Marvels: Imagining Asia in Late Medieval France Guest Lecturer: Dr. Markus Cruse This lecture examines one of the most famous and sumptuous manuscripts produced in medieval Europe. The Book of Marvels, today preserved in the National Library of France, was produced circa 1410 for the crusader John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy. Its compilation of works on Asia, including Marco Polo, and 265 miniatures offer a sweeping portrait of people, places, animals, and customs from the Middle East to China. We discuss how The Book of Marvels came to be and why it is such a valuable record of the global past. |
New Archaeological Evidence for the Biblical Kingdom of David Guest Lecturer: Dr. Michael Pytlik This talk discusses why the he ancient site of Khirbet Qeiyafa, or Biblical Sha'arayim, was selected for excavation, the exciting finds, and the scope and reach of the kingdom associated with the historical kingdom of David. | ‘There came a deadly pestilence’: Art in Tuscany Before and After the Black Death Guest Lecturer: Dr. C. Griffith Mann This talk considers the societies and art produced in Tuscany before and after this global epidemic, with a special focus on works of art in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This recording was sponsored by Friends of Modern Art in memory of Dr. Sarah Jordan Lippert. |
Guest Lecturer: Dr. Taylor Hagood In this lecture, Taylor Hagood will explore the forces driving the development of baroque architectural style and the powerful images of Caravaggio, Velazquez, Rubens, Rembrandt, and other artists throughout Europe in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. | Neha Vedpathak – Artist Talk For the exhibition Time (Constant, Suspended, Collapsed) Neha Vedpathak and Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Tracee Glab will discuss the artist's work and process. Sponsored by the Bray Charitable Trust. This recording was sponsored by Friends of Modern Art in memory of Dr. Sarah Jordan Lippert. |
The Greatest Bible Ever Written Kennicott no. 1, La Coruña, Spain, 1476 Guest Lecturer: Dr. Gary Rendsburg Dr. Rendsburg presents a general background of Hebrew Bible manuscripts from before the age of printing and then focuses on the Kennicott Bible, its layout, format, biblical text, and beautiful illuminations. | Notre-Dame of Paris: In the Light of the Fire Guest Lecturer: Dr. Lindsay S. Cook In this illustrated talk, Dr. Lindsay S. Cook discusses 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. |
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. | 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. |
| The Sheppy Dog Fund Lecture has been established to address the topics of art, religion, and history, and is funded annually by The Sheppy Dog Fund, Dr. Alan Klein, Advisor. | For more Sheppy Dog Fund Lecture, click here. |
1120 East Kearsley Street
Flint, Michigan 48503
810.234.1695
810.234.1692
| Hours |
|---|
| 10am-5pm |
| Admission | |
|---|---|
| Members | Free |
| Genesee County Residents | Free |
| Adults | $10 |
| Students (with ID) | $8 |
| Senior Citizens | $8 |
| Children 12 & Under | Free |
To advance the understanding and appreciation of art for all through collections, exhibitions, and educational programs.
The FIA is supported in part by the Genesee County Arts Education and Cultural Enrichment Millage. Your tax dollars at work.