Ever miss being a student? Well, maybe the late-night study sessions and stress over seminar papers don’t exactly rate as “fond memories,” but certain classroom experiences often remain lodged in our consciousness for the best of reasons. Maybe you remember a wonderful professor who taught you to understand a book, painting, or cello suite in a new way. Or perhaps you recall a particularly heated debate over the significances embedded in a line of poetry or the final scene in a play.
For those of you who miss those electrifying discussions and professors – who miss, well, being students – UWG’s School of the Arts offers Art Talks: semester installments of salon-style discussions modeled on the most compelling classroom lectures. The format is simple: we take our talented professors out into the community, into the homes of arts patrons and supporters, and let them do what they do best. There, in the company of other art lovers and intellectually curious people, you may listen to and be involved in some of the most interesting topics in the art world. Different from the classroom, however, we demand no tuition, require no pesky quizzes and tests, and even offer refreshments and appetizers to fuel the night’s discussion.
Our first installment in spring 2014 featured English professor Gregory Fraser, who spoke on the power of the surreal in early 20th Century art and literature. Most recently, Film professor Erin Lee Mock treated an audience to a history of war films, particularly how filmmakers have chosen to represent veterans. Local arts supporter, financial adviser, and UWG fan Richard Plunkett played host to Dr. Mock’s Art Talk with another sold-out crowd.
Seats are free but extremely limited (just like the best of classrooms), but we are always looking for more arts supporters. If you are interested in participating in an Art Talk, contact Dr. Chad Davidson, director of the School of the Arts, at davidson@westga.edu.
Come experience the best of university life, without all the complexities of going back to school. A college classroom filled with educated lovers of art, all in someone’s sumptuous home? Now that’s curriculum.
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