In 2013, the Albright-Knox introduced an exciting new lecture series. The 2013–2014 Director’s Lecture Series, entitled All About Museums: A Brief History from Renaissance Cabinets of Curiosity to Contemporary Hubs of Creativity, 1400–Present, provided a unique opportunity to learn about the history of museums and their development. The series, designed and presented by Peggy Pierce Elfvin Director Dr. Janne Sirén, simultaneously surveyed key moments of innovation and transformation in European and American history of the past 600 years.
The six lectures of the series provided participants with a chronological overview of the evolution of museums over time and space. While the focus of the series was on art museums, the lectures embraced topics that pertain to broader institutional questions, such as the relationship between democracy and public space and the impact of technology, war, and politics on collecting and visual culture. Each lecture was followed by a question-and-answer session between Dr. Sirén and the audience.
Peggy Pierce Elfvin Director Dr. Janne Sirén during a lecture. Photograph by Tom Loonan.
Peggy Pierce Elfvin Director Dr. Janne Sirén during a lecture. Photograph by Tom Loonan.
Now in its fourth season, the 2016–2017 Director’s Lecture Series will focus on a single, truly great work of art in the Albright-Knox’s collection. Some of these works, like those by Paul Gauguin, Joán Miró, and Lucas Samaras, are pillars of the collection; others are likely to become icons for future generations. The series is designed by Peggy Pierce Elfvin Director Dr. Janne Sirén and presented by Dr. Sirén, Deputy Director Dr. Joe Lin-Hill, and Senior Curator Dr. Cathleen Chaffee.