Join painter, sculptor and author Lincoln Perry for an enlightening talk about not only some of the world's greatest art, but how an artist views, experiences and borrows from that art in his recently published book, Seeing Like An Artist. A tea will follow his presentation.

Godine Press has recently published a number of essays on art as seen from the viewpoint of a practicing artist. Seeing Like An Artist was initially titled Stealing from Museums, but there was some concern that it would be put in bookstores' crime section.  But in fact that is what these essays address; how artists in general, and Lincoln Perry specifically, haunt museums to learn how pictorial and sculptural problems have been solved over millennia.  Seeing and analyzing thousands of such works helps artists solve the intractable difficulties inevitably encountered in their own work. His talk will describe some of the formal and metaphoric lessons taught by art we might encounter in museums, with the understanding that such "advice" can help non-artists more fully enjoy what they see as well. His book is currently on sale in our gift shop.

Perry has been painting and sculpting for roughly half a century; his wife might say compulsively, he might say productively.  He has shown around the country, as well as doing murals in Washington, D.C, St. Louis, Tallahassee, Florida and at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. Concentrating on narrative in his work, he borrows from myth and the Bible, feeling that even without direct reference, such stories still resonate in subtly archetypal ways.  His love of past art has prompted him to write essays about what artists learn from their predecessors, one might even say their betters. He and his wife, the writer Ann Beattie, divide their time between Florida, Virginia and Maine.

Tickets are $30 for members and with advance reservation; $35 day of; $22 for students 22 and under. Reservations are strongly encouraged as seats are limited. Walk-ins accommodated as space allows. For reservations visit https://gildedage.org/events/ or call us at (413) 637-3206. Please note that all tickets are nonrefundable and non-exchangeable. The historical mansion is located at 104 Walker Street in Lenox.

Location:  Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum
Type of Event: Tea & Talk
Date of Event:  Tuesday, June 27, 2023
Time:  4:00 pm
Admission:  $35, $30 for members or with advance reservation, $22 for students 22 and under
Today’s Date:  June 12, 2023
Contact Persons:  Linda Rocke, linda@gildedage.org
Description: Going to Museums with an Artist