Seminars

"Thought-Provoking" "Stimulating" "Enlightening"

Seminar programs offer in-depth examinations of topics in an intimate, small group setting, fostering interactive
discussion and opportunities for personal growth. 

 

The World of Downton Abbey
Judy M. Pittenger
Friday, February 8, 2013
10:00a.m.– 2:30p.m.
$85 ($95 Non-Museum Members)

 

Americans continue to be fascinated with Downton Abbey. Filmed at Highclere Castle, the palatial home of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, this popular series beautifully captures the manners and morals, fashions and foibles of the English aristocracy during the early decades of the twentieth century. In this one-day, in-depth program, participants will look at the history, homes, lives and loves of England’s hereditary ruling class. Through richly illustrated lectures, students will be introduced to the history of the English great house, the families who lived upstairs in these grand spaces, and the people downstairs who served them. Discussion will also consider the trauma of the Great War and the political and economic changes it accelerated, as the Roaring Twenties and the third season begins.

With a B.A. and a M.A. in Modern European History from Stanford University, Judy Pittenger taught history and literature at Roland Park Country School for twenty-two years. In 1991 she was named by the National Endowment for the Humanities as the Teacher-Scholar of Maryland. She has lived, studied, and traveled extensively in England and has taught literature to adults in Oxford University’s Continuing Education Program. In Baltimore she has taught literature to adults for the past decade and also lectures frequently.

Other Voices, Other Worlds
Tamar March, Ph.D.
Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday
February 25-27, 2013 
9:30a.m.– 12:30p.m.
$195 ($215 Non-Museum Members)

As the current process of shrinking the known world into a global village continues, we are learning more about how peoples around the world are organized in their respective societies, what values inform their respective cultures, and ways in which their ‘otherness’ provide a more critical understanding of our own situation. Through the agency of stories selected for the amazing worlds they unfold for the reader, this three-day seminar will focus on the choices and decisions individuals make as they are shaped by the world in which they live. Authors considered in this brief, kaleidoscopic view of the globe will include (but not be limited to) Naguib Mahfouz (Egypt); Daniyal Mueenduddin (Pakistan); Hanan al-Shaykh (Lebanon); Nadine Gordimer (South Africa); Gabriel Garcia Márquez (Colombia); Alice Munro (Canada); Bharati Mukherjee (India); Gish Jen (United States).

Tamar March is Founder and President Emerita of The Arden Seminars, Inc. and a Senior Fellow at the Association of American Colleges and Universities. March received her B.A. from Brooklyn College, M.A. from Radcliffe College, and Ph.D. from Harvard University in Romance Languages. She served as dean of the Radcliffe Center for Educational Programs at Harvard University from Fall 1996 to Summer 2002.

How to Look at Art of the Golden Age
Arthur R. Blumenthal, Ph.D.
Wednesday & Thursday
March 13 - 14, 2013
10:00am – 4:00pm / 10:00am – 3:00pm
$130 ($150 Non-Museum Members)
 
 

This small group program makes use of the exciting winter exhibition Rembrandt, Rubens, Gainsborough and the Golden Age of Painting in Europe. Dr. Blumenthal returns to explore the mysteries of 17th- and 18th-century art in this interactive, two-day seminar held in the Museum’s galleries. Weaving expert art-historical content into his popular “How to Look at Art” method, he will inform and deepen participants' ability to look at the Baroque and rococo paintings of the Golden Age in a fun, informal atmosphere. Under Dr. Blumenthal’s guidance and with their own insights, participants will engage individually and collectively to enrich their understanding and experience of the splendid artworks on display. Space is limited to 20 participants.

Arthur Blumenthal’s career as a museum professional began at New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, spanning 40 years at some of America’s finest art museums. He is Director Emeritus of the Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College, where he served for nearly two decades. An internationally known scholar in Renaissance and Baroque art, Dr. Blumenthal has authored numerous books and catalogues. In 2007, he was awarded the Florida Art Museum Directors Association Lifetime Achievement Award.

If you prefer to order by phone, please call (772) 231-0707 x136 to reserve your space today.

VBMA Adult Public Programs Refund Policy

All Sales Are Final; please review your reservations carefully before submitting. We are unable to offer refunds or exchanges beginning sixty (60) days before a scheduled program. However, the value of cancelled reservations may qualify as a tax-deductible donation; please notify the Museum at your earliest opportunity before the program date. Occasionally, programs are cancelled or postponed due to circumstances beyond the Museum’s control. When this occurs, you may elect to have your reservation honored for the rescheduled date or you may receive a refund if applicable. In some cases, the performance contract may set refund limitations. All refunds or exchanges are subject to a $10 non-refundable convenience fee.