An Art History Lecture to smarten up your next event.
Ever consider hirring an art historian to speak at your next event? I have 40+ years of public speaking about art history.
History of Public Art Lecture, Topsfield Town Library.
Garden paintings in the History of Art, Boxford Town Library.
Why art history? And why me.
We love to learn new things. We crave new information, an expansion of our knowledge, and the thrill of an educator sharing their years of knowledge with us.
After graduating with an MFA in studio art in 1989, I taught my first art history lecture that same year. Realizing there was much more about the subject I didn’t know, I earned a PhD in art education in 2000 and went on to become the chair of art education at Salem State University.
In 2012, I added architecture history to my lineup of historical research and teaching.
After 40+ years of teaching and researching art history, I am as enthusiastic as ever about this subject and love sharing my extensive knowledge with new audiences.
How long are your lectures?
Most lectures go for 45-50 minutes with a 15-20 question and answer session at the end.
How far will you travel for a lecture?
I will travel any distance. An additional fee of 2.00 per miles is required for travel over 40 miles from my Topsfield, MA. home. Most lectures are in the evening or on weekends.
What is your speaking fee for a lecture?
I charge a rate of 250.00 U.S. dollars for each lecture. Average audience numbers range from 25-200 people.
How do I contact you about giving a lecture to my organization?
Please take a moment to complete the enclosed contact form. I will reach out you once I receive your inquiry.
Some of the museums I have visited to study art history.
Andy Warhol, 1962. Campbell's Soup, Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Adelaide Labille-Guiard, 1785. Self-portrait with two pupils, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Emancipation, the unfinished project of liberation, Williams College Museum.
Portal of the Kings and Queens, Chartres Cathedral, 1194, Chartres, France,
Thomas Gainsborough, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, 1748. National Gallery, London.
A sampling of my Tabloid Art History Blog posts.
Watch my Art History videos on my YouTube Channel.
239. Artistic Influence: making the old new again.
Artists have long been influenced by their predecessors. While this often means a nod to artists they admire by incorporating their imagery into their own work, at other times its is an act of rebellion against artistic expressions deemed antiquated or controversial...
237. September 17 is USS Constitution Day. Old Ironside, an early example of using sustainable building materials, is the world’s oldest commissioned naval ship, still active in the US Navy.
On the deck of the USS Constitution. Today, September 17, 2024 is Constitution Day in the United States. The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787 by founding members of the United States including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin....
236. Art Nouveau: sensual art with an attitude.
For 40 years, I taught art and architectural history, art education, and studio art at the college level. I loved my life as a professor, helping students launch their careers as artists and educators. I decided to share my knowledge in this section, Tabloid Art...
233. Meg, can you paint my garden for me?
So, I get a message from a lovely woman who wanted me to paint a dahlia garden for her newly redesigned home. She shared with me that dahlias were her favorite flower as they reminded her of her mother, whom she picked dahlias for and brought them to her when her...
225. Remembering 9/11: Alexander Calder’s “Bent Propeller.”
The devastating terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York on 11 September 2001killed nearly 3,000 people. Inevitably little attention focused on the art that was lost with the collapse of the buildings. But the attacks on the Twin Towers and the...
221. Ten things to know about Michelangelo’s Pieta:
1. The word pieta is Latin for pity. The idea that one can feel emotion, in this case, sorrow or pity, through viewing a work of art is in keeping with the Renaissance ideal of humanism, in which the human experience is worthy of contemplation and reflection. 2....
207. A picture is worth a 1000 words: how artists have historically painted war.
There have been a lot of images of Picasso's Guernica lately, and sadly for good reason as we see images of bombing raids over Ukrainian cities. As an art history professor, I have been thinking of other paintings that have historically depicted war. Here are some of...
198. Why artists and interior architects need each other to find and solve problems.
Walk into any gothic cathedral and proceed down the central isle. Now, stop at the transept-the place where the isle meets the side isles and forms a cross-and glance right or left. What you will see is a stained glass window soaring above your head, allowing in a...
196. Construction inspired art in the spirit of George Bellows
These paintings were commissioned by a construction company a few years ago. Each "tile" showcases one of their construction projects. I just loved working on this project. I would visit the construction site, darn a hard hat, take lots of photos and then present the...
187. Highlights from the Topsfield Library Art Collection.
For a small town, Topsfield, MA. is home to a lovely library with an impressive art collection, much of it purchased through the Gould fund (Robert Gould Shaw was the captain of the Massachusetts 54th all-Negro regiment during the Civil War made famous in the movie...
Lecture attendees testimonials
Hi Meg, thank you for intro to art in the gardens 101. It was fascinating and makes me want to learn more about the meanings of things found in paintings over the centuries.
Carol, President, North Shore Horticultural Society,
Outstanding! You are such a gifted speaker. Your knowledge, enthusiasm and sense of humor come through with every slide. I could have listened to you all night.
Jen, lecture attendee, Walker Hancock and the Monument’s Men lecture
Do you have an event that would benefit from an art history lecture? Contact me and let’s talk.
Email Us
Address
Topsfield, MA. Just north of Boston.
Call Us
Quick Links
Contact Us
- Meg Black Studio 48 Prospect St. Topsfield, MA. 01983
- 978 887 8670
