At the beginning of the twentieth century, many artists wanted visual art to be more like music. The idea may have developed from a late 19th-century longing for a “total work of art,” which combined several art forms. This talk will look at how music of various kinds, from classical to modern experimental to jazz, influenced and inspired certain Modernist artists. In honor of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Bauhaus, the prime examples of music-loving artists will be Bauhaus teachers and painters Paul Klee (a musician as well as a painter), and Wassily Kandinsky, who talked about the color of sounds.
Apr
23
Thu
Presented by: Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau—Paddy & Jon Lynn, with Patti Ecker
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Spoon River Anthology, a collection of poems by Edgar Lee Masters published in 1915-16, represents a milestone in the literary history of Illinois and the United States. It was recognized as innovative not only for its creative experimentation with poetic form but also for its unvarnished representation of life in a middle-American small town through the voices of inhabitants of its cemetery, who reflect upon their experiences from beyond the grave. Previously, most poets who wrote about American small communities portrayed them as idyllic and their residents as virtuous. Masters, however, has his characters speak not only of their virtues but also of their vices, internal and interpersonal conflicts, moral dilemmas, and failures. A native of west-central Illinois, Masters based those characters largely upon people he knew in and around Lewistown. Their recognizability initially scandalized the residents of that community but made them compelling and relatable to generations of readers.
Historical actors Paddy and John Lynn will portray characters from Spoon River Anthology in costume, performing approximately 30 of the poems. Their renditions will be interspersed with folk and popular music of the period performed by singer, guitarist, and banjoist Patti Ecker.
About the presenters:
The talented trio performing Spoon River Anthology is comprised of Paddy Lynn, a Chicago-area storyteller, author, and actress; Jon Lynn, actor and retired theatre and English teacher who taught Spoon River frequently during his 35-year career; and Patti Ecker, an accomplished Chicagoland singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and entertainer.
Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Illinois General Assembly [through the Illinois Arts Council Agency], as well as by contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by speakers, program participants, or audiences do not necessarily reflect those of the NEH, Illinois Humanities, our partnering organizations, or our funders.
May
14
Thu
Presented by: Bill Egan, Cahokia Mounds Historic Site Volunteer
Cahokia Mounds is named as a National Historic Landmark and One of the Illinois 200 Great Places
Presentation Topics Include:
Monks Mound
Mound 72
The Grand Plaza
The Stockade Wall
Woodhenge
Sep
17
Thu
Presented by: Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau—Laura Mueller
About the presenter:
Laura Mueller has strong interest in both the visual arts and literature. She holds a B.F.A. in Painting and Drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an M.A. from the University of Chicago in Comparative Literature; she also studied art and art history in Venice with New York University’s graduate program in Italy. Laura worked for the Art Institute’s Department of Museum Education from 1987 to 2017 and is currently offering lectures on art to the museum’s associate groups, among others. Laura began lecturing for the Road Scholars program of the Illinois Humanities council in 2017. She teaches private drawing and painting classes, in addition to teaching drawing for the CLL program of the 4th Presbyterian Church in Chicago. She has also created and taught a host of new classes for the Art Institute’s Members’ Sketch program. Laura has been an Art Institute study leader on trips to Europe, lecturing on sites around the Adriatic, Holland and Belgium, Germany, the prehistoric caves of southwest France, and Normandy and Paris.
Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Illinois General Assembly [through the Illinois Arts Council Agency], as well as by contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by speakers, program participants, or audiences do not necessarily reflect those of the NEH, Illinois Humanities, our partnering organizations, or our funders.