Perth

Saturday 21 February 2026
SELF PORTRAITS
Presented by Richard Read
Time and Venue: 2-3:30pm State Library of WA 25 Francis Street Northbridge

This lecture traces the difficult birth of self-portraiture in Western art from minor characters in paintings of classical and Biblical stories to direct self-portraits in mirrors that also gaze out at unknown viewers – an ambiguity whose meaning changes across centuries.

Emeritus Professor Richard Read is a Senior Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia. He wrote the first book on the British art critic Adrian Stokes and has published extensively on the relationship between literature and the visual arts and complex images in global contexts.

Saturday 21 March 2026
THE HISTORY OF EMBROIDERY
Presented by Susan Kay-Williams
Time and Venue: 1-2:30pm State Library of WA 25 Francis Street Northbridge

This talk takes us from some of the earliest embroidery in this country from the 10th century through the height of English work, Opus Anglicanum to the embroidered outfits of our Tudor monarchs through to the seventeenth century when new design ideas arrived from India and China, and new techniques emerged such as raised embroidery, through to the growth in silk shading with the growth in dye shades, then to Berlin wool work in the 19th century and the dawn of art embroidery by the likes of William Morris and Walter Crane in the late 19th century. Finally, we reach the period of embroidery artists in the 20th century including Beryl Dean, Constance Howard and Diana Springall to the artists of today including Mr X Stitch. This lecture shows how much embroidery has changed and stayed the same over the last thousand years.

Susan was the Chief Executive of the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace for 17 years. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the Chartered Institute of Marketing and in 2015 was made a Fellow of the Society of Dyers and Colourists in recognition of her work on the history of dyes. Susan has a longstanding interest in textiles, especially colour, and published her first book, The Story of Colour in Textiles (Bloomsbury) in 2013. In 2022 she published An Unbroken Thread: the 150-year history of the Royal School of Needlework. She is currently the President elect of the Society of Dyers and Colourists.

Saturday 21 March 2026
JAPONISME: How the East Influenced the Art of the West in the Late 19th Century
Presented by Susan Kay-Williams
Time and Venue: 3-4:30pm State Library of WA 25 Francis Street Northbridge

After Japan opened its doors to Europeans and Americans in 1854 the Japanese also visited the west at the international exhibitions in London, Paris and Philadelphia to show their work. This gave European artists the opportunity to explore the work of Japanese masters of paintings and woodcuts. This lecture shows how western artists from Van Gogh to Walter Crane were influenced by the works they saw from Japan and how they developed their own work as a response.

Susan was the Chief Executive of the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace for 17 years. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the Chartered Institute of Marketing and in 2015 was made a Fellow of the Society of Dyers and Colourists in recognition of her work on the history of dyes. Susan has a longstanding interest in textiles, especially colour, and published her first book, The Story of Colour in Textiles (Bloomsbury) in 2013. In 2022 she published An Unbroken Thread: the 150-year history of the Royal School of Needlework. She is currently the President elect of the Society of Dyers and Colourists.

Saturday 2 May 2026
FROM CAIRO TO VENICE TO PARIS: The Journey of Enamelled and Gilded Glass
Presented by Stefano Carboni
Time and Venue: 2-3:30pm State Library of WA 25 Francis Street Northbridge

In the 13th–14th centuries, Syrian and Egyptian glassmakers mastered works decorated with enamels and gold, influencing Venetian glass, which peaked in the 15th–16th centuries. In the 19th century, renewed interest in this enamelled and gilded glass led to the original Islamic works becoming sought-after collectibles on the French art market.

Dr Stefano Carboni is a native of Venice and specialist in Islamic art, focusing on glass studies and the artistic connections between the Islamic world, Europe, and Asia. He has served as CEO of the Museums Commission, Saudi Ministry of Culture; Director of the Art Gallery of Western Australia; and Curator/Administrator of Islamic Art at The Met, New York. He currently lectures in Art History and Curatorial Studies at the University of Western Australia.

Saturday 30 May 2026
TIBET: The Roof of the World
Presented by Zara Flemming
Time and Venue: 1-2:30pm State Library of WA 25 Francis Street Northbridge

A general introduction to the history, art and culture of this extraordinary land, lying deep in the heart of Central Asia surrounded by some of the highest mountains in the world. Despite its geographical inaccessibility, it developed a rich and vibrant Buddhist culture and artistic tradition. This lecture gives a brief overview of Tibetan history from the time of the great Tibetan Empire (6th – 9th century) up to the present day; explores the fascinating art and culture inspired by Buddhism, introduced from India in the 7th century, and gives an insight into the current political situation.

Freelance lecturer, art consultant and exhibition curator specialising in the art and culture of Tibet, the Himalayan areas and Mongolia. Initially based at the V&A, but also worked with the Central Asian Department of Bonn University, the Orient Foundation, the Royal Academy, Tibet House, the National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside and Asia House. In addition to lecturing for The Arts Society, she lectures for museums, universities, Asian art societies, and private associations. Guest lecturer and tour guide on numerous trips to the Himalayas. Edited Masterpieces of Mongolian Art: Vol 1 and has published many articles in the field of Buddhist art and culture.

Saturday 30 May 2026
BHUTAN: The Kingdom of the Thunder God
Presented by Zara Flemming
Time and Venue: 3-4:30pm State Library of WA 25 Francis Street Northbridge

A general introduction to the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, known by its inhabitants as Druk Yul or land of the Thunder Dragon. This is a reference to the Drukpa tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism that permeates every aspect of Bhutanese life. This lecture explores the history, art and culture of this extraordinary country, which for centuries has preserved its traditional Buddhist values. Over the last few decades there have been many changes; such as the introduction of roads, television and tourism. Will Bhutan be able to maintain the fine balance between tradition and modernity without diminishing its unique culture?

Freelance lecturer, art consultant and exhibition curator specialising in the art and culture of Tibet, the Himalayan areas and Mongolia. Initially based at the V&A, but also worked with the Central Asian Department of Bonn University, the Orient Foundation, the Royal Academy, Tibet House, the National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside and Asia House. In addition to lecturing for The Arts Society, she lectures for museums, universities, Asian art societies, and private associations. Guest lecturer and tour guide on numerous trips to the Himalayas. Edited Masterpieces of Mongolian Art: Vol 1 and has published many articles in the field of Buddhist art and culture.

Saturday 25 July 2026
PEGGY GUGGENHEIM: A Life of Collecting
Presented by Charlie Hall
Time and Venue: 2-3:30pm State Library of WA 25 Francis Street Northbridge

Describing herself by writing, “I am a museum”, Peggy Guggenheim’s life took a clear path, from setting up a commercial gallery in London, going on a single-minded shopping trip to Paris in the late 1930’s even as the German tanks were rolling in to the suburbs, to escape (with her selection of European artists) to New York and the subsequent establishment of her museum (and Arts centre), and finally the purchase of the eccentric ‘unfinished palazzo’ in Venice, her collection remains one of the most iconic assemblages of Twentieth century art in the world.

A passionate arts educator, lecturer, and guide, based in London and Italy. Director of the highly regarded John Hall Venice Course, (est. 1965) Tour lecturer and leader for Kirker Holidays since 2013, and of independent tours in Italy. Designer and host of a series of art talks and events for the Soho House group of private member’s clubs. Designed and led courses for Christie’s Education and The Serpentine Gallery ‘Collector’s Circle.

Saturday 29 August 2026
FASHION, FEATHERS AND FEMINISM: Women’s Fight for Change
Presented by Tessa Boase
Time and Venue: 1-2:30pm State Library of WA 25 Francis Street Northbridge

When social historian Tessa Boase told the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds she wanted to write their early story, they refused to let her visit their archives. To a former investigative journalist, this was a challenge she could not resist. This lecture shines a light on the intriguing story of women’s love affair with plumage – and of the brave eco feminists who fought back on behalf of the birds. Moving from a polite Victorian tea party to an egret hunt in a Florida swamp; from a suffragette ‘monster rally’ to a milliner’s dusty workshop, you will be taken back in time to a world where every woman, of every class wore a hat. Shocking and surprising, entertaining and moving, this pacy lecture remains Tessa’s most popular.

Tessa Boase is a freelance journalist, author, lecturer, and campaigner with an interest in uncovering the stories of invisible women from the 19th and early 20th-centuries – revealing how they drove industry, propped up society and influenced politics. She is the author of three books of social history: The Housekeeper’s Tale: The Women Who Really Ran the English Country House (2014); Etta Lemon: The Woman Who Saved the Birds (first published as Mrs Pankhurst’s Purple Feather in 2018), and London’s Lost Department Stores: A Vanished World of Dazzle and Dreams (2022). Since uncovering the feminist origins of the RSPB, Tessa has been campaigning for public recognition of its female founders with plaques, portraits, and a statue.

Saturday 29 August 2026
THE HOUSEKEEPER’S TALE: The Women Who Really Ran the English Country House
Presented by Tessa Boase
Time and Venue: 3-4:30pm State Library of WA 25 Francis Street Northbridge

Working as a housekeeper was one of the most prestigious jobs a 19th and early 20th century woman could want, and also one of the toughest. A far cry from the Downton Abbey fiction, the real-life housekeeper was up against capricious mistresses, low pay, no job security and gruelling physical labour. Until now, her story has never been told. Delving into secret diaries, unpublished letters and the neglected service archives of our stately homes, Tessa Boase tells a series of poignant and dramatic stories about some of Britain’s most prominent households which are all, today, open to the public.

Tessa Boase is a freelance journalist, author, lecturer, and campaigner with an interest in uncovering the stories of invisible women from the 19th and early 20th-centuries – revealing how they drove industry, propped up society and influenced politics. She is the author of three books of social history: The Housekeeper’s Tale: The Women Who Really Ran the English Country House (2014); Etta Lemon: The Woman Who Saved the Birds (first published as Mrs Pankhurst’s Purple Feather in 2018), and London’s Lost Department Stores: A Vanished World of Dazzle and Dreams (2022). Since uncovering the feminist origins of the RSPB, Tessa has been campaigning for public recognition of its female founders with plaques, portraits, and a statue.

Saturday 26 September 2026
MONDRIAN’S EVOLUTION INTO ABSTRACTION
Presented by Mariska Beekenkamp-Wladimiroff
Time and Venue: 2-3:30pm State Library of WA 25 Francis Street Northbridge

Mondrian is forever known in history for the artist who created the extremely recognisable elementary colour field paintings. He started creating these kinds of paintings around 1920. What many do not realise is that by then he had already 30 years of being a figurative artist under his belt. This lecture follows this evolution, his self-discovery, and his belief in a new world order

Mariska read Social Psychology at the University of Amsterdam and was tempted to do a PhD in Decision Making Behavior. In the end she turned to her true love – the Arts. Whilst having her three children, she completed her BA and MA in Art History, majoring in The Dutch Baroque Arts from the 17th century at the Courtauld Institute of Arts. She started as a College Lecturer, but soon after started her own company, Art Historical London, offering art historical lectures, museum visits, courses, tours, travel and events from Amsterdam, London and New York, and since 2020 online. A fully accredited PTLLS lecturer, she also teaches on the public program of the Dulwich Picture Gallery, for the New York Adventure Club in the States.

Saturday 31 October 2026
THE MUSIC OF THE CARIBBEAN
Presented by Graham Jones
Time and Venue: 2-3:30pm State Library of WA 25 Francis Street Northbridge

The effects of colonialism have played an intrinsic part in the musical culture of the Caribbean. They are a synthesis of African, European, Indian and indigenous influences. Each island has its own complex rhythm patterns and styles. Find out about the origins of calypso on Saint Kitts, jwé on Saint Lucia and much, much more in this lighthearted insight lecture full of the sounds of the Caribbean.

Dr Graham Jones started his professional life as a musician in the British Army and over a glittering career spanning nearly forty years he retired as the Senior Director of Music, Household Division and Director of Music, Coldstream Guards a position unequalled throughout military music in Great Britain. During his illustrious career he has recorded over 40 albums and been responsible for the largest commissioning programme of wind band music in recent history commissioning over 30 new works for wind band. He pioneered a music education programme with the University of Salford for military musicians resulting in a new Master of Music in performance degree. Graham was made a Member of the British Empire by Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace for outstanding service to military music in 1993. Having retired from military service Graham is enjoying a second career as a guest conductor, adjudicator, guest speaker, lecturer, clinician, recording consultant and educator.