Day: Thursdays
Dates: October 31 – December 5, 2024
Time: 10:30am-12:30pm
Location: National Gallery of Canada
Price: $195 +HST
Parking Info & Meeting location details will be sent by email 1-2 days prior to the first day of this Gallery Series.
Overview
This small-group series led by Maria Martin will help you to develop your knowledge, appreciation and comfort level when viewing and discussing art. Each week you will gather together at the National Gallery of Canada, with a variety of themes, including Portraiture, Sculpture, Myths and Symbols, Art by and about Women; plus Abstract and Contemporary Art. We will take a light-hearted approach, looking at works of art in their historical context, including discussions on artistic techniques, meaning, conservation, and valuation. Lectures and discussions will take place in front of selected work’s in the Gallery’s collection.
Items to Note:
- Gallery entrance fees are required for non-members of the gallery (not included in the registration fee). If doing so, it is recommended that participants purchase a membership online before the series begins.
- Recommended that participants arrive early each week to arrange parking (not included in registration fee), put items in the free Coat Check room, and purchase tickets/memberships form the box office at the gallery’s main entrance.
- Folding stools are available in the Great Hall.
Visit the National Gallery of Canada website for more details.
Topics
Week 1:The Art of Portraiture
The way we present ourselves, or choose to be portrayed, is very revealing. This week we will visit the Canadian and European Galleries to see how artists have captured themselves and their subjects in sculpture and painting, and what is revealed about the artists and the times in which they lived.
Week 2: A focus on Sculpture
This week we will visit the European/American Galleries to view sculptural works from the
Renaissance to the 20th century, in a range of media such as wood, ceramic and porcelain, marble and bronze. We will also discuss techniques that artists used to create these works.
Week 3: Saints and Sinners
This week we will look at how artists have portrayed religious and mythological themes in their art from the early Renaissance through the eighteenth century. We will learn to decode images that may be obscure to us now, but were seen as deeply textured works in the eyes of our ancestors.
Week 4: Women in Art: How Women are Portrayed and Perceived
We will focus on the work of female artists, and some images of women in the Gallery’s collection. We will consider how gender is represented, and how ideals of feminine beauty have evolved over
time, as seen in works on display in the galleries.
Week 5: ‘My Kid Could do That!’ The Perils of Abstraction
When the ‘Voice of Fire’ was exhibited in the National Gallery of Canada after the building opened in 1988, a storm of controversy ensued. What is it about abstract art that sometimes infuriates the public? We will look at a number of interesting and sometimes provocative abstract paintings and sculptures in the Gallery’s collection, from the early 20th century to the present day, to consider the artist’s message and its meaning for us.
Week 6: The Challenge of the New: Contemporary Art
We will visit the Contemporary Art wing at the Gallery to view 20th and 21st century artworks, including larger ‘installation’ pieces, conceived for gallery spaces. In contemporary art we find that artists are often creating works with a larger public in mind, and with a consciousness of the societal impact of their art.
Lecturer Biography
Maria Martin has studied and worked in the Arts for many years. She holds a Master’s Degree in the History of Art from Queen’s University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Art History from Carleton University. Maria has recently retired as a Manager with the federal government, and previously worked at the Canada Council for the Arts as an Art Consultant at the Council’s Art Bank, and as an Education Officer and Guide at the National Gallery of Canada.
Policies: Please review the Lifelong Learning Policies
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