Springfield Museums offer talks on witches, journalism and art

Date: 9/29/2016

SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Museums’ monthly tour and lecture schedule continues in October with the popular Museums à la Carte lectures, which take place on Thursdays at 12:15 p.m. in the D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts. Admission is $4 ($2 for members of the Springfield Museums); visitors are invited to bring a bag lunch (cookies and coffee are provided). For more information about Museums à la Carte, call 263-6800, ext. 488. This month’s lectures are:

Oct. 6 – “Giuseppe Arcimboldo: Nature and Fantasy in Italian Renaissance Art.” Enjoy a documentary film about Arcimboldo’s work as a court painter, designer of festivals, and chronicler of the natural world.    

Oct. 13 – “Stones & Bones: The Art of Death in Ancient Greece.” Amy S. Dane, freelance lecturer, global traveler & photographer, discusses messages that can be found in examining objects and monuments from the 8th to the 4th century BCE.

Oct. 20 – “Witches in Connecticut.” Jenny Steadman, Ph.D, Adult Programs Manager, at Connecticut Historical Society, discusses how Connecticut successfully controlled the spread of witch accusations long before Salem erupted in panic and violence.

Oct. 27 – “Garry Brown’s Greatest Hits.” A presentation by Garry Brown, long-time sports editor at The Republican Newspaper, about his journalistic career.

As an added feature, museum docents will be leading guided gallery discussions titled “Continuing Conversations” following lectures on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month (Museums members only).  October’s “Conversations” will take place on Oct. 13 at 1:30 p.m. with docent Dave Carlson at the  George Walter Vincent Smith Museum and  Oct. 27 with docent  John Howell  at the  Wood Museum of Springfield History at 1:30 PM (check with Welcome Center for gallery locations).

On Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m., the Springfield Science Museum’s large rooftop telescope will once again be open for public sky gazing for the monthly “Stars Over Springfield” observatory program. These programs are organized by the Museum and the Springfield Stars Club, and take place on the first Friday of each month. The featured talk on Oct. 7 is “Cruising the Universe: Through Our Solar System and Beyond” by Ed Faits, president of the Arunah Hill Natural Science Center. Stars Over Springfield programs are best suited for families with children ages 8 and older, however younger children are also welcome.  Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for children 17 and under. These programs are held rain or shine. If it is cloudy, a planetarium show will be presented in place of telescope viewing.

Monthly Walking Tours are presented on second Saturdays in collaboration with the Armoury-Quadrangle Civic Association (AQCA). Walking tours are free for Springfield Museums and AQCA members, $5 nonmembers, and start at the Museums’ Welcome Center. On October 8th, Susan Ashman, National Park Service Ranger, will lead a tour of the Armory National Historical site.