Castellani Art Museum announces spring 'Meet Me at the CAM' lectures & films

The Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University has announced the lineup for this year’s “Meet Me at the CAM” programs. This popular series features lectures, films and artist talks covering a variety of historical and contemporary art-related topics.

The CAM has planned eight morning programs, beginning with three unique lectures in April and culminating in a five-part film series in May and June. All programs take place on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. The series, sponsored by Elderwood at Wheatfield Community, includes:

Wednesday, April 3, “Frida & Diego: Comrades in Love and Art”: Learn more about artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo beyond the vivid Mexican landscapes and painful symbolism. Both artists were devoted to the Mexican workers, but also linked to the revolutionary spirit and personalities in the early 20th century. 

Jean Serusa, a certified state art educator with more than 30 years of teaching experience, will go past the surface and help facilitate renewed appreciation for this couple's works within the context of the times.

Wednesday, April 17, “The Book of Kells: Marvel and Mystery”: Dr. Pamela Clements, Siena College professor emeritus, will introduce “The Book of Kells,” the most famous 9th-century illuminated manuscript. It is a complicated work of art – a presentation copy of the four gospels – and through its images, a work of theology. Finally, it is a gateway to the world of the Irish monks who were instrumental in bringing Christianity to the British Isles. It is a manuscript that asks as many questions as it answers. Its detailed images contain many mysteries for modern viewers.

Wednesday, April 24, “Vienna: Crossroads of Culture”: Vienna has been at the forefront of the arts and sciences for the past six centuries. At the center of central Europe, the Habsburg family amassed a collection of art and artifacts often gained through the family’s marriages into the royal families in Europe. Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Strauss made Vienna their home and changed the history of music. At the beginning of the 20th century, Otto Wagner, Gustav Klimt and Sigmund Freud brought life to a new modern era.

Join Niagara County Community College and NU art history professor Nancy Knechtel for a tour of this inspiring city. 

11th annual “Meet Me at the CAM Film Series”: Five consecutive Wednesdays: May 15-29; June 5 and 12; the theme is “civilizations.” This collaboration between the BBC and PBS explores the history of art, from antiquity to the present, on a global scale. Discover the role art and creative imagination have played in forging humanity, and see works of beauty, ingenuity and illumination across cultures. Visit www.castellaniartmuseum.org for the latest information on films and speakers.

“Meet Me at the CAM” is free for current Castellani Art Museum members, and $5 suggested donation per program for non-members. Membership signup is available at the registration desk at each program, or download a membership application from the CAM website. Each program begins with light refreshments and coffee.

For more information or to pre-register, contact Susan Clements at 716-286-8201.