Let the Art Speak: On Beauty
Schedule
Fri, 11 Apr, 2025 at 06:30 pm to Sat, 12 Apr, 2025 at 01:00 pm
UTC-05:00Location
365 E Campus Mall, Ste 200, Madison, WI, United States, Wisconsin 53715 | Madison, WI
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In his recent book Makers by Nature, Bruce Herman writes: “Beauty and love cannot ultimately be disentangled—because God is love and God is beauty. And the spirituality of art is anchored in the beautiful.” We are delighted to welcome painter and author Bruce Herman and Mia Chung-Yee — concert pianist, music professor, and executive director of the Octet Collaborative at MIT — as featured presenters of our fourth annual Let the Art Speak conference at Upper House. These lifelong artists have thought deeply about beauty and will be presenting their wisdom at our freshly expanded Let the Art Speak conference.
In addition to our plenary presentations, this year’s conference will also include five seminars on art and writing-related topics.
FRIDAY EVENING PIANO PERFORMANCE @ UNITARIAN MEETING HOUSE
Our event begins on Friday evening with a reception and piano performance by Mia Chung-Yee at the Unitarian Meeting House. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, it is recognized as one of the world’s most innovative examples of church architecture.
SATURDAY PLENARY, SEMINARS, AND PANEL DISCUSSION @ UPPER HOUSE
On Saturday morning, we will gather at Upper House for morning coffee and conversation, listen to a keynote address by Bruce Herman, and participate in one of five seminars or workshops. Our conversations will continue over lunch and conclude with a panel discussion featuring Bruce and Mia, hosted by artist and associate director of the SL Brown Foundation, Cam Anderson.
If you are an artist at any career stage or one who loves the arts, the 2025 Let the Art Speak conference will nourish your soul. Friends tell us that when they attend an Upper House arts conference they come away with deeper understanding of art and faith, they make important new connections with others, and they return home encouraged. We want this to be your experience, too. Please join us.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
MIA CHUNG-YEE is an internationally known concert pianist and the founder and executive director of the Octet Collaborative, a Christian Study Center based at MIT. In 1993, Chung-Yee won first prize at the Concert Artists Guild Competition and, in 1997, received the Avery Fisher Career Grant, the highest recognition for young concert artists in the United States. Chung-Yee earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard College, a master’s degree from Yale University, and a PhD from the Juilliard School. After serving as Professor of Music and Artist in Residence at Gordon College from 1991 to 2011, she has been a Professor of Musical Studies at the Curtis Institute of Music. Learn more about Chung-Yee at https://www.curtis.edu/person/mia-chung/.
BRUCE HERMAN is a painter, writer, and speaker. His art has been shown in more than 150 national and international exhibitions and is in many public and private art collections, including the Vatican Museum of Modern Religious Art in Rome and museums throughout the United States and Canada. For nearly four decades, Herman taught at Gordon College, where he is the founding chair of the Art Department. He completed BFA and MFA degrees at Boston University College of Fine Arts. Learn more about Herman’s art, exhibitions, many art features, and books at https://www.bruceherman.com/.
BREAKOUT SESSIONS:
Paper Cutting Workshop - Nancy Cox with Kate Austin
Visio Divina: Walking the Chazen - Cam Anderson and Phoebe Love
Poetry Writing Workshop - Krissy Kludt with Susi Jensen
A Philosopher and Painter Discuss Beauty - Tony Bolos and Bruce Herman
A Pianist and Violinist Discuss Beauty - Mia Chung-Yee and Kangwon Lee Kim
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Where is it happening?
365 E Campus Mall, Ste 200, Madison, WI, United States, Wisconsin 53715Event Location & Nearby Stays:
