Talks & Thinkers
Upcoming Events
Violinist and composer Michelle Ross invites you to join us at The Church for a behind-the-scenes look into her creative practice and unique process of composing. During this special event, Michelle will offer insight into her latest composition – an in-progress piece for solo violin and mixed ensemble – and discuss how improvisation, electronics, handwritten notations, poetry, and performance all play a role in her work. The presentation will feature a selection of handwritten scores, excerpts of audio, and a live performance by Michelle.
A protégée of the legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman, Michelle’s compositions have had world premieres at the Lucerne Festival, Tanglewood Music Center, and Oregon Symphony’s Open Music. She has also performed as guest concertmaster with a range of ensembles including the Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, London Symphony Orchestra, and more.
By popular demand! Join us for an encore presentation of April Gornik’s recent talk about the landscapes of Egon Schiele, which she presented at the Neue Galerie in NYC in November. The lecture includes images and insights into landscape painting and as a contemplation of nature and the landscape at large. Gornik will focus on both Schiele’s contemporary context and the artists he may be likened to in our more recent context in the decades following his untimely death.
Query: What is the Human Being?
In the style of a traditional Quaker meeting, each iteration of Still, Small Voice will center around an organizing question about creativity, community, and being human in the 21st century. The format of the meeting is unprogrammed and anchored in silence, but receptive to the insights of all participants. It is a space grounded in humanistic pluralism and is welcoming and open to all. Facilitated by former Quaker clerk Erling Hope, the series will be held in The Church’s library.
Simon Doonan invites you to memories, musings, and mimosas!
Join us as we sit down for a dynamic discussion with the renowned creative director as he explores the stories and inspirations that added a dash of whimsy and nostalgia to our winter exhibition, Some of Tom’s Typewriters. Inspired by the presence of typewriters in films, moved by the serendipity of his parents meeting around the typewriter, and driven by his incredible knack for storytelling, Doonan adds a special dimension to the exhibition.
An acclaimed creative director, Doonan offers the audience an opportunity to peek into the inner creative workings of design as he discusses his initial sketches, the visual impact of added display elements, and more! Following the discussion, Doonan will have a brief Q&A with the audience.
Those with specialty tickets will then be invited down to our studio level for mimosas and small bites. Copies of Doonan’s latest book will be available for purchase and signed during the reception downstairs.
Ring in the new year with seasoned Reiki Master KAREN MEYER, assisted by STEPHANIE JOYCE on the gong, as we learn the fundamentals of Reiki. Learn why Einstein’s words “Everything is vibration” and “Everything is energy” are the language of Reiki practitioners worldwide.
Learn the basics of Reiki and experience it hands-on, discover the healing power of sound, the healing properties of instruments such as the gong, the crystal singing bowl, and tuning forks, and redefine scent as vibration as we examine the special properties of different essential oils. Then, immerse yourself in the deep relaxation of a sound bath with a guided meditation.
Grab a popcorn and join us for a screening of California Typewriter, the 2016 American documentary film directed by Doug Nichol. Considered a “nostalgic love letter to the typed word from enthusiasts and experts alike,” the film explores, celebrates, and honors the mechanical object believed to summon the creative spirit while also documenting the struggles of the typewriter-repair shop of the film’s title, California Typewriter. Sadly, the shop closed in 2020 after 70 years of service.
A meditation on creativity and technology, the film features typewriter enthusiasts Tom Hanks, John Mayer, Sam Shepard, and David McCullough. The film also includes artist Jeremy Mayer, author and Xavier University philosophy professor Richard Polt, the unique and inspiring Boston Typewriter Orchestra, and more.
Popcorn and light refreshments will be sold at our concession stand. A limited number of signed copies of Richard Polt’s The Typewriter Revolution will also be available for purchase.