For Immediate Release
January 24, 2007
Contact:
Corey Cronin 781/259-3628, ccronin@decordova.org
Art for Lunch?
Many people would like to learn more about art but find it difficult to fit classes and programs into their evening and weekend schedules. With today’s hectic lifestyles, it can be a challenge to find time to investigate art trends and issues, and to learn more about the creative process. DeCordova is now offering an easy solution. In addition to its many other educational programs, DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park now encourages visitors to have Art for Lunch. This new lunchtime series explores art issues while participants enjoy sandwiches from the Museum’s Café.
During an Art for Lunch program, participants will meet DeCordova experts in an informal setting that provides an intimate, behind-the-scenes view of the Museum’s exhibitions, collections, and art historical issues. Guests are encouraged to bring their curiosity and questions about art and artists.
Participants meet at 11:30 am for a tour of one of the Museum’s current exhibitions. This walk-through is followed by a discussion over lunch. Each program is expected to be completed within two hours and participants can register for one or all four sessions. Each Art for Lunch program costs $20 or $15 if the participant is a DeCordova Member; the fee includes lunch from The Café @ DeCordova. Interested participants must register in advance by calling 781/259-3632.
On Wednesday, January 31, DeCordova’s Director of Education and Gallery Learning Lisa Silagyi will lead a discussion on Kids and Museums: How to Explore the Galleries Together. This adult-only program focuses on how to improve the museum experience for children, what concepts and issues can be discussed no matter work of art you are viewing, and what information is available to parents to assist them in this effort. This session will provide the tools so that your next museum visit will be more educational and engaging for the entire family.
On Thursday, February 15, Curator Nick Capasso will discuss Why Abstraction is Hot. Focusing on DeCordova’s new exhibition Big Bang! Abstract Paintings for the 21st Century, Capasso will explore the current revitalization of non-objective painting. As part of a new generation of artists, these painters have reinvigorated abstraction with artworks that are formally and conceptually relevant to many of the great intellectual concerns of this new century. These artists have created visually complex and compelling post-Postmodern paintings that are grounded in ideas that transcend art making and the art world—they encompass everything: the universe, the sciences, the imagination, and the structures that connect them all. Capasso, who curated Big Bang! and wrote the exhibition catalogue, will share his excitement for this subject along with his research and knowledge during this lunch.
Another Art for Lunch program is scheduled for Wednesday, March 7 when Director of Curatorial Affairs Rachel Rosenfield Lafo will be hosting Trends in the Collection. DeCordova has been collecting art since 1950 and has more than 3,000 works. Rosenfield Lafo will share how DeCordova has built its collection, which works were acquired during certain time periods and why, and what artworks the Museum is planning to collect in the future. You may even leave this lunch with ideas on how to build your own collection or how to add to an existing one.
This series concludes with Looking Beyond the Surface. Head of Gallery Learning Susan Diachisin will provide participants with an inside look into the creative process. She will discuss the conceptual phase, initial drawings, maquettes, color palettes, and other early stages of the artistic process along with an analysis of the final artwork. Don’t miss this behind-the-scenes look at how art is created.
General Information: DeCordova Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm and on selected Monday holidays. General admission during Museum hours is $9 for adults, $6 for senior citizens, students, and youth ages 6–12. Children age 5 and under, Lincoln residents, and Active Duty Military Personnel and their dependents are admitted free. The Sculpture Park is open year round during daylight hours. The Store @ DeCordova and the School Gallery are open Monday through Thursday, 9:30 am to 7:30 pm, Friday through Saturday, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, and Sunday 10:30 am to 5:30 pm. The Café @ DeCordova is open Tuesday from noon to 3 pm, and Wednesday through Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm. Free guided public tours of the Museum's main galleries take place every Thursday at 1 and Sunday at 2 pm. Free tours of the Sculpture Park are given on Saturday and Sunday at 1 pm from May to October. Visit www.decordova.org or call 781/259-8355 for further information.
