Hire me to present an Art History Lecture at your next event.
Looking for 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.
What you will get when you hire me:
What I have learned from my many years of teaching art history is that we want to learn new things. We crave new information, an expansion of our understanding, and the respect an educator shows us as they share their hard-earned 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 wanted to learn, 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 60-70 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 contact you once I receive your inquiry.
A sampling of my Tabloid Art History Blog posts.
Watch my Art History videos on my YouTube Channel.
186. The benefits of adding nature-based artwork to the office environment.
The benefits of adding nature-based artwork to the office environment.
185. The story behind the Walker Hancock sculptures at Trinity Church, Topsfield. Presented by Meg Black, PhD
A PDF of the slides from this lecture are available via the download button. Walker Hancock Lecture PDFDownload Print of Gethsemane Garden available in print gallery. Sign up for my mailing list and receive updates about future lectures, new artwork, and...
184. 2021 art history lecture series
The story behind The Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane sculptures at Trinity Church, Topsfield. Thursday, February 4, 7:00-8:00PM. Free registration. Photo: Kindra Clineff Like many residents of Topsfield I have long admired of the Walker Hancock sculptures, The Agony...
183. The connection between cotton, slavery, and handmade paper.
As a papermaker who uses cotton linters in my artwork, I need to address a topic that is often overlooked in our community. That topic concerns the historical connection between slavery in America, cotton production, and the design of the cotton gin itself. The...
179. Hidcote Garden, Cotswolds, England.
Hidcote Garden, in Cotswolds, England is an Arts and Crafts-inspired garden with intricately designed outdoor spaces in the rolling Cotswold hills. The arts and crafts movement favored natural looking plantings and meandering paths over the look of more manicured...
177. My day in Monet’s Garden, Giverny, France.
Claude Monet is famous for painting many subjects: water lilies, cathedral facades, footbridges, and of course, his garden's at Giverny, France, where he moved to in 1883. Monet did not like organized gardens common in other parts of France such as the Gardens at...
176. The worlds first truly modern building, London’s Crystal Palace.
The Chrystal Palace, c. 1874, Sydenham, England Built in 1851 for the Great Exhibition of London, a precursor of the Centennial Exhibition, held in Philadelphia in 1876, the Chrystal Palace at 1,851 x 800 square feet was 4X the length of St. Peter's Basilica and...
168. An example of a picturesque garden in Topsfield
An example of a picturesque garden in Topsfield, located at the corner of Prospect Street and River Road. The seemingly arbitrary plantings appear as though the garden sprang up on its own without human involvement. This is similar to the way Humphrey Repton would...
167. The picturesque movement arrives in the city, 1752-1835.
The Regency in Great Britain refers to the time period when King George III (1760-1820), the guy blamed for losing the colonies to the original guerrilla warriors in the American Revolution, was deemed unfit to rule; his son ruled as Prince Regent. On his...
165. My summary of Leonardo’s Last Supper
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.
