Lectures and Events
Gain new insight into the art and culture of Philadelphia with Woodmere’s engaging lectures and gallery talks. Hear from artists, art historians, professors, curators, and writers who offer new perspectives on the Museum’s collection, exhibitions, and related topics.
In Conversation: Jerry Pinkney and Lorene Cary
Saturday, March 23, 3:00 p.m.
Lecturers: Jerry Pinkney, artist and Caldecott Medal recipient; and Lorene Cary, author, founder of Art Sanctuary and director of SafeKidsStories.com
$15 ($10 members)
Artist Jerry Pinkney will share a conversation with Lorene Cary, educator, activist, and author of The Price of a Child (1995), Black Ice (1991), and If Sons, Then Heirs (2011), among others. Pinkney and Cary, who both grew up in Philadelphia, will discuss their work and their careers.
Blending History and Fiction: Reading Jerry Pinkney and Toni Morrison
Thursday, April 4, 7:00 p.m.
Lecturer: Crystal Lucky, PhD, associate dean of baccalaureate studies, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and associate professor of English, Villanova University
$15 ($10 members)
Fugitive slave narratives and third-person accounts of enslaved men and women’s experiences during the nineteenth century draw an outline around the horrors of American slavery. This lecture will address how contemporary artists like Jerry Pinkney and Toni Morrison fill in the spaces left untouched with vibrant color, linguistic contour, and the richness of sound to offer present-day Americans entrée into a world we can only imagine.
Screening of Sisters in Freedom
Thursday, April 11, 7:00 p.m.
Lecturer: History Making Productions
Suggested $5 donation
Sisters in Freedom, a documentary produced by History Making Productions, tells the story of pioneering black and white women in the 1830s who defied social, economic, and cultural norms to come together to agitate against slavery, white supremacy, and inequality of race and gender. A presentation on the film will follow.
Sonambients: The Sound Sculpture of Harry Bertoia
Wednesday, April 24, 7:00 p.m.
Lecturer: Celia Bertoia, Harry Bertoia Foundation, Bertoia Art and Appraisal
$15 ($10 members)
Join Celia Bertoia, daughter of Harry Bertoia, for a special presentation on her father’s famous sound sculptures, or tonals, which are part of the Sonambient series. A screening of the 1971 film Sonambients: The Sound Sculpture of Harry Bertoia, by Jeffrey and Miriam Eger, will follow, featuring footage of Bertoia playing and discussing these unique artworks
Teaching the Journey of Our Nation
Thursday, May 2, 7:00 p.m.
Panel discussion: Stephen L. Druggan, Ed.D. head of school; Rayna Guy, teacher; and colleagues at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy
$15 ($10 members)
In the context of Jerry Pinkney’s perspective on American history, this panel will discuss what schools are and should be doing to ensure our students understand the journey of our nation. Far too often history is told by the victor or the majority. It is the obligation of educational institutions to be more honest and foster an environment where students critically analyze what they are told and search out supporting and discrediting information throughout their lives.
Teacher Workshop: Teaching History and Critical Thinking with the Visual Imagery of Jerry Pinkney
Saturday, May 4, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
$20/teacherReinvigorate your students’ critical thinking skills through the engaging and historically insightful illustrations of artist Jerry Pinkney. This teacher workshop will provide the tools and materials to blend visual literacy and critical thinking, within the context of the Underground Railroad and the African American struggle for freedom. The workshop is aligned with Common Core Academic Standards, and provides 3 Act 48 hours.
I Want to Be: Stories Inspired by Jerry Pinkney
Saturday, May 4, 7:00 p.m.
First Person Arts Storytelling Program
$15 ($10 members)
This evening of storytelling is inspired by the visual narratives of Freedom’s Journal: The Art of Jerry Pinkney. Themes of resiliency that weave through Pinkney’s works provide a specific prompt for the invited storytellers. First Person Arts’ mission is to transform the drama of real life into memoir and documentary art that fosters an appreciation for our unique and shared experiences.
Rafael Villamil, An Impassioned Vision
Saturday, May 11
1:30 p.m. Panel Discussion at Woodmere
3:00 p.m. Tour of Villamil’s home
Participants: David B. Brownlee, professor, History of Art, University of Pennsylvania; Rafael Damast, curator, Taller Puertorriqueño
$25, tour and discussion; $15 ($10 members) discussion
A special program in conjunction with artist and architect Rafael Villamil’s first major exhibition at Taller Puertorriqueño, Paradise Has No Memory. Tour Villamil’s unique, multitiered house in Chestnut Hill and learn about the career and artwork of this monumental figure.
Goma, Goma: A Musical Narrative of The Old African
Saturday, May 11, 7:00 p.m.
Performers: Suzanne Burgess, vocals; Frank Butrey, acoustic guitar; Adam Faulk, synthesizer; Greg (Juju) Jones, drums; Doug Pablo Edwards, percussion; Warren Oree, bass and narration; Larry Price, saxophone
$22 ($12 members)
Music and voice bring to life the powerful story of The Old African, a tale about a shaman-like character who leads his people from a life of enslavement back to freedom in Africa through a magical journey across the ocean floor. This story of resilience inspired the title, “Goma, Goma,” which translates as “Revolt, Revolt.” The original music is composed and arranged by bass player Warren Oree.
Gallery Talk: The Woodmere Annual
Saturday, June 8, 3:00 p.m.
Lecturer: Eileen Nef
$15 ($10 members)
Join Eileen Neff, juror of Woodmere’s 78th annual juried exhibition, in this gallery talk about the works on view. Gain insight into her selections and the curatorial decisions made for this exhibition.