Director's Lecture Series 2013–2014

All About Museums: A Brief History from Renaissance Cabinets of Curiosity to Contemporary Hubs of Creativity, 1400–Present

Tuesdays, September 10, 2013; October 1, 2013; November 5, 2013; February 11, 2014; March 11, 2014; and April 8, 2014, 7–8:30 pm

7–8 pm, Lecture by Dr. Janne Sirén
8–8:30 pm, Conversation with Dr. Sirén and Participants

Tickets and Scholarships

The Albright-Knox is pleased to introduce an exciting new Director’s Lecture Series entitled All About Museums: A Brief History from Renaissance Cabinets of Curiosity to Contemporary Hubs of Creativity, 1400–Present.

This series of six lectures will provide a unique opportunity to learn about the history of museums and their development from the Renaissance to the present. The series, designed and presented by Albright-Knox Director Dr. Janne Sirén, will simultaneously survey key moments of innovation and transformation in European and American history of the past six hundred years.

Beginning with the earliest civilizations, individuals have possessed an instinctual need to create, collect, conserve, and interpret objects. This innate desire led to the creation of museums that, over time, evolved from eclectic showcases of private collections into public spaces and sites of communal identity construction. Today, employing a variety of contemporary technologies, museums are again looking back to their ancient origins as hubs of inspiration, creativity, contemplation, and participatory spirituality. The six lectures of the series will provide participants with a chronological overview of the evolution of museums over time and space. While the focus of the series is on art museums, the lectures will embrace topics that pertain to broader institutional questions, such as the relationship between democracy and public space and the impact of technology, war, and politics on collecting and visual culture.

Each lecture will be followed by a question-and-answer session between Dr. Sirén and the audience. The lectures will be supplemented with reading materials, may feature guest speakers, and will include an optional final essay with feedback from Dr. Sirén. A certificate of completion will be given to each participant at a graduation reception following the conclusion of the final lecture.

A reception will follow the final lecture.

Peggy Pierce Elfvin Director Janne Sirén

Syllabus

Tickets and Scholarships

Series Tickets

$500 general admission
$375 for Members
$200 for students (with valid student ID)

Thank you to the generous Albright-Knox Members who have provided student scholarships.

Proceeds from the Director’s Lecture Series directly benefit the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.

Program Sponsors

HSBC logo

Presenting Scholarship Sponsor

WSF logo

Patron Sponsor