by Monica Tsai
Staff Writer
As cryptic as hieroglyphics to some, what constitutes contemporary art is ever-changing. To offer some guidance, the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art is starting a new lecture series, ArtSpeak, beginning Nov. 9.
However, in contrast to the ongoing lunchtime lectures, the ArtSpeak series will not necessarily be exhibition specific.
“These will have a larger scope,” said Allison Graff, director of education for JMoMA. “It will incorporate artists, art historians, educators and museum professionals to talk about cutting-edge or new concepts in art. We want to appeal to different targeted audiences.”
Connecting the talks with the institution’s collections is one way JMoMA will use the lectures to engage the community.
Depending on the subject and its target audience, a lecture could be set up in the museum’s gallery, demonstration classrooms or auditorium. The subject will not only determine the location of the lecture within the museum, but also the day, time and format.
“We’re trying to be very audience-focused with all different elements,” said Graff, who
intends to cover a broad array of topics to appeal to different demographics. Along with general information about the arts, interested patrons can be educated in modern art, art professions, new themes in education, the rise of technology in the arts, censorship and a whole variety of other art concepts.
So far, three lectures are scheduled. The first , Families Experiencing Art, will feature Marlene Roeder, associate curator of education for Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, N.Y. Drawing from her background in urban education with an arts magnet school, Roeder will discuss how children and their parents can share art in a way that is fun for both groups. It will happen at noon on a Sunday when admission is free for families.
At 7 p.m. Nov. 12, University of North Florida art history professor Debra Murphy-Livingston will dissect what is actually meant by the term “modern art.” Her talk, When Old Masters Were Controversial, was situated in a time slot conducive to draw more adult or working-class audiences.
“She will talk about Italian Renaissance art work from her perspective, in that they were modern in their own time,” said Graff. “How we view modern art today is very similar to that approach.”
More art history is provided to patrons in the third discourse, Surrealism in America, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. In their day, surreal artists strove to depict the workings of the unconscious mind. Unraveling the impact the surreal movement had on the evolution of modern art will be Peter Tush, the director of education for the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg.
“We’re looking at making modern art more accessible for people and to capture some familiarity with Dali,” said Graff.
As far as securing speakers, Graff relies on her research and networking contacts to enlist art professionals willing to donate their knowledge at little or no cost.
The first three introductory lectures are free and open to the public. Next on the horizon for the series, a black cinema symposium, is tentatively slated for February.