Current Programing
All exhibition lectures are free and open to the public. RSVP requried.
Curator Talk | Renaissance Fantasies in Contemporary Art | Pearl Blizek Lecture on Religion and Art | Pointed Hats, Hooked Noses and Straggly Beards: The Jews in Medieval Art | Style and Meaning: Conversing with the Old Masters | Bak & Music
Renaissance Fantasies in Contemporary Art
Thursday, September 26, 6:00 PM
Why did Samuel Bak choose to emulate the work of Albrecht Dürer – one of the most renowned artists of the German Renaissance – when working out his deeply critical and violent paintings in the 1980s?
This talk investigates Bak’s dialogue with Dürer as part of a broader trend of contemporary artists reflecting on the Renaissance, both as a historical period and as a label for cultural rebirth.
Moving between the present and the past, this talk will touch on some key “fantasies” that Renaissance culture offered – including the promise of a more humane, enlightened world – and discuss those how artists critiqued, subverted, or reimagined them in their work.
Speaker: Katie Anania, Ph.D
Curator Talk
Tuesday, Ocotber 1, 6:00 PM
Chief Curator of Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center, will introduce the key themes of the new exhibition After The Storm: Identity and Repair. The talk will be followed by a tour of the exhibition for a closer look at specific paintings in the exhibit.
Speaker: Alexandra Cardon
Comics, Poetry, and Self-Care: Creative Expression for Well-being
Thursday, October 17, 6:00 PM
This year’s Pearl Blizek Lecture on Religion and Art will be delivered by Britny Cordera, a poet, writer, and journalist and alum of the UNO Religious Studies program, whose work addresses the intersections between environment, climate change, and culture. For this event, Britny will lead a workshop in which participants will create 4 panel comic poems that explore the therapeutic potential of poetry and drawing. Participants will learn how to integrate self-care into the creative process and reflect on their emotions and personal journey. The workshop is open to all, regardless of experience. Please be prepared to write or draw. It is recommended that participants bring a notebook or paper you prefer to write in, as well as your preferred writing materials (pen, pencil, colored pencil, etc.); however, supplies will be provided for those who need them, as well as templates for the drawing activity.
Speaker: Britny Cordera
Pointed Hats, Hooked Noses and Straggly Beards: The Jews in Medieval Art
Thursday, November 7, 6:00 PM
How were Jews represented in medieval art? What was the effect of these portrayals on contemporary society, and their lasting impact throughout Western history?
Join us for a talk exploring how medieval artists used symbols like straggly beards, hooked noses, and bags of coins to transform Jews from figures of ancient wisdom into hostile enemies to fear.
Speaker: Martina Saltamacchia, Ph.D
Style and Meaning: Conversing with the Old Masters
Thursday, November 21, 6:00 PM
This talk will reflect Old Master practices (illusionism and incorporation of symbolism) as well as the borrowing of considerable portions from specific paintings. Where possible Amy Millicent Morris, Ph.D. will reference Bak's own reflections on these borrowings and the degree to which he creates new meaning from them or engages in artistic rivalry.
Speaker: Amy Millicent Morris, PhD
Bak & Music
Saturday, December 7, 2:00 PM
Distinguished faculty and talented student performers from the UNO School of Music will deliver a captivating musical performance to complement the current After the Storm: Identity and Repair exhibition at Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center. The program will feature compositions by victims of the Holocaust, Jewish composers, as well as music chosen to mirror the essence of the artwork showcased in the Fall exhibit.
Speaker: Christine Erlander Beard
