Launceston
ADFAS Launceston welcomes you.
In 2024 ADFAS Launceston will deliver an exciting program of superbly illustrated lectures on a diverse range of topics within the arts and related disciplines, including:
- 8 face-to-face Lectures from International Lecturers, and
- 2 face-to-face lectures from Australian Lecturers
Our lecturers are chosen for their communication skills and expert knowledge in their fields. All lectures are beautifully illustrated and our speakers’ enthusiasm for their topics is infectious.
Our friendly members all have one thing in common – an interest in learning more about a wide diversity of the arts, ranging through fine arts, history, photography, literature and music. ADFAS Launceston also has an active Young Arts program, and we explore and provide opportunities for young people in our local community to develop an interest in the Arts.
Lectures:
Venue:
Lectures are held at Sir Raymond Ferrall Lecture Theatre at The University of Tasmania’s Newnham campus, Launceston. Please click here for venue information.
Time:
Lectures are held on a Tuesdays, arrive at 5.45pm for a 6pm lecture start.
Please note in July and August an additional morning lecture will be held at 10am.
Program
Find full details of the 2024 program here
Membership:
Annual membership:
$165 single
$300 for a couple
Click here to join or email: launceston@adfas.org.au
Guests welcome:
Visitors are welcome to attend 3 lectures per year. for a fee of $30 per lecture. Please email launceston@adfas.org.au
Committee
Chair: Margaret Archer
Secretary: Wendy Webster
Treasurer / Membership: Ursula Love
Contact:
For all enquiries please email: launceston@adfas.org.au
Postal Address: PO Box 445 Launceston TAS 7250
ABN: 16 630 263 813
2024 PROGRAM
Tuesday 27 February 2024
THE STORY OF THE COOK SISTERS AND HOW THEY USED OPERA TO SAVE THEIR LIVES
Presented by Anne Sebba
Time & Venue: 5:45pm Sir Raymond Ferrall Lecture Theatre, The University of Tasmania’s Newnham campus
This lecture is the story of how two eccentric opera loving sisters undertook undercover missions in the 1930s rescuing Jewish musicians and others from the Nazis. We explore the world of opera in the 1920s and 1930s – the clothes, music, celebrities, and the signed photographs coveted by fans.
Biographer, historian, and author of eleven books Anne Sebba lectures in the US and UK, and to the National Trust, British Library, and Imperial War Museum. Formerly a Reuters foreign correspondent, Anne presents on BBC Radio and television talking about her books, including biographies on Jennie Churchill, Laura Ashley, Wallis Simpson and her latest book Ethel Rosenberg: A Cold War Tragedy published in 2021.
Tuesday 16 April 2024
THE TENTMAKERS OF OLD CAIRO
Presented by Presented by Jenny Bowker
Time & Venue: 5:45pm Sir Raymond Ferrall Lecture Theatre, The University of Tasmania’s Newnham campus
Jenny lived for four years in Cairo and worked closely with the Egyptian Tentmakers. Having taken exhibitions to Australia, France, and Spain, Jenny will talk about the history and development of the Tentmakers’ appliqué, an artform that is dying; Cairo’s Tentmaker’s Street which had 247 skilled masters in 1979 is now down to 45.
Jenny has been working with textiles since receiving her Bachelor of Visual Arts (Honours) from ANU, Canberra. Married to a diplomat with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Jennifer has been fortunate to live for a total of eleven years in Arab and Islamic countries. The influence of the Middle East can be seen in her lectures and subject matter. Her solo exhibitions have been held in the U.K., Australia and the Middle East. Jennifer has also lectured in countries where she has travelled, and is a sought-after lecturer at Quilt Conventions and Universities.
Tuesday 14 May 2024
HOW WE GOT IKEA: SCANDINAVIAN DESIGN 1880-1960
Presented by Anne Anderson
Time & Venue: 5:45pm Sir Raymond Ferrall Lecture Theatre, The University of Tasmania’s Newnham campus
This is the story of how Norway, Sweden and Denmark looked to the British Arts and Crafts movement for design reform and influenced how Scandinavian design came of age in the 1950s. Scandinavian modern offered and ideal lifestyle for the post-war era, based on clean lines, natural materials and the notion that ‘less is more’.
An Arts Society lecturer since 1994 Anne was senior lecturer at Southampton Solent University and is currently Hon Associate Professor at Exeter University, a tutor for the Victoria and Albert Learning Academy, and Ceramics Consultant for Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum. Anne has published on Art Deco teapots, the Pre-Raphaelites, Edward Burne-Jones, and Art Nouveau architecture. She held various fellowships and has curated national exhibitions, the most recent Beyond the Brotherhood; the Pre-Raphaelite Legacy (2019-20).
Tuesday 9 July 2024
THE SISTINE CHAPEL CEILING CRACKED
Presented by Daniel Evans
Time & Venue: 5:45pm Sir Raymond Ferrall Lecture Theatre, The University of Tasmania’s Newnham campus
The Sistine Chapel is considered one of the modern Wonders of the World. It is a sacred building where mysterious elections take place infrequently whilst for the rest of the time thousands visit it daily. This lecture looks at the decoration of the ceiling by Michelangelo and will concentrate on some more unusual inclusions in the Old Testament scheme. It is a mighty piece of painting that demonstrates incredible artistic talent but contains many subversive elements. Sin and punishment were key themes for much of Michelangelo’s career and he decided to project these ideas onto the Pope, Conclave and Tourist.
Dan Evans, an educationalist with a passion for European art and architecture. He teaches History and A Level History of Art at Cheltenham College, a full boarding independent school established in 1841. Dan has been lecturing since 2001, and spent 9 years working as a senior lecturer and tour guide for Art History Abroad and he was once voted the British winner of the World Guide of the Year Awards.
Wednesday 10 July 2024
MICHELANGELO: PAPER, STONE, AND FLESH
Presented by Daniel Evans
Time & Venue: 10am Sir Raymond Ferrall Lecture Theatre, The University of Tasmania’s Newnham campus
Michelangelo was grumpy, dirty, ugly, and tight-fisted but produced sculpture, painting and architecture of such startling beauty and originality that two biographies were written in his lifetime. We know exactly what he looked like in life and at his death, and today we have over 1400 surviving letters by his own hand. Over 450 years have passed since the death of this talented yet tempestuous superstar. This lecture examines several of his drawings, a little of his poetry and some of his finished and unfinished works with the aim of all but summoning the great man to the room.
Dan Evans, an educationalist with a passion for European art and architecture. He teaches History and A Level History of Art at Cheltenham College, a full boarding independent school established in 1841. Dan has been lecturing since 2001, and spent 9 years working as a senior lecturer and tour guide for Art History Abroad and he was once voted the British winner of the World Guide of the Year Awards.
Tuesday 6 August 2024
CULTURE AND KITCH: ART AND TASTE
Presented by Lynne Gibson
Time & Venue: 5:45pm Sir Raymond Ferrall Lecture Theatre, The University of Tasmania’s Newnham campus
What has happened to art? Tracy Emin reveals her dirty knickers and crumpled sheets, Damien Hirst pickles fish and directs pop videos, Jeff Koons stars in pornographic photographs and designs giant floral puppies. Surely Raphael, Rembrandt and Reynolds would be turning in their graves! Is high-brow culture ‘dumbing down’ or is art becoming gloriously democratic, embracing consumerism, the mass media and kitsch? If you are regarded as ‘elitist’ or, conversely, if you are a secret hoarder of garden gnomes, this lecture will offer some insights into the politically incorrect world of Culture, Fine Art, and Taste.
Lynne Gibson is a freelance lecturer in History of Art, and in Drawing, Painting and Printmaking. She has worked at the Universities of Sussex and Bristol and has conducted lectures, courses and guided tours for organisations including Art Galleries and Museums, The Art Fund, The National Trust and The Arts Society. She is a professional artist specializing in oil painting and etching, has been exhibited widely and her work used in a range of publications.
Wednesday 7 August 2024
COLOUR AND THE ARTISTS PALETTE: SEEING RED
Presented by Lynne Gibson
Time & Venue: 10am Sir Raymond Ferrall Lecture Theatre, The University of Tasmania’s Newnham campus
Red is the colour of love and lust, royalty and ceremony, anger and danger and it’s worn by scarlet women and the Madonna. The brightest crimson dye came from the blood of an exotic insect. In Ancient Rome, the fieriest red pigment was believed to be created by the combined blood of a feuding elephant and a dragon! But the most vivid reds were often frustratingly fugitive. It had faded before reaching the wall of the Royal Academy. Where does the saying ‘caught red handed’ come from? Why is scarlet not always red? And why is red a favourite of fast-food outlets?
Lynne Gibson is a freelance lecturer in History of Art, and in Drawing, Painting and Printmaking. She has worked at the Universities of Sussex and Bristol and has conducted lectures, courses and guided tours for organisations including Art Galleries and Museums, The Art Fund, The National Trust and The Arts Society. She is a professional artist specializing in oil painting and etching, has been exhibited widely and her work used in a range of publications.
Tuesday 3 September 2024
PARADISE LOST AND RESTORED – 400 YEARS OF GARDEN DESIGN IN OXFORDSHIRE
Presented by Timothy Walker
Time & Venue: 5:45pm Sir Raymond Ferrall Lecture Theatre, The University of Tasmania’s Newnham campus
Over 400 years, successive Horti Praefecti (head gardeners) changed the features of the Oxford Botanic Garden, reflecting the art of gardening, and occasionally the science of botany. How is this displayed in garden design at the beginning of the 21st century?
From 1988 to 2014 Timothy Walker was the Director of the University of Oxford Botanic Garden. Botanic gardens are often described as living museums, and garden curators talk about them in the same way as museum curators do. Gardens are often thought of a place where science and art meet on equal terms and Timothy’s lectures investigate this relationship. Since 2014, he has taught Plant Biology at Somerville College Oxford.
Wednesday 4 September 2024
HALF INTEREST DAY – TO PROMOTE LEARNING AND GLORIFY THE WORK OF GOD – HISTORY OF GARDENING THROUGH THE EYES OF A BOTANICAL GARDENER
Presented by Timothy Walker
Venue & Time: To be advised
“To promote learning and glorify the work of God” is a translation of the 17th century Latin mission statement of the University of Oxford Botanic Garden, where Timothy Walker was Horti Praefectus (director) from 1988 to 2014. This study day looks at what he found most interesting about the origins, history, present, and future of gardens, gardeners, and gardening, and tries to answer some overlapping questions, such as: What is a garden? What influences garden design? Is gardening a fine art? Do we still need gardens for study and research? And can gardeners really help to preserve biological diversity?
Tuesday 22 October 2024
ANDY WARHOL: BEHIND THE SURFACE OF THE SUPERFICIAL
Presented by Deborah Jenner
Time & Venue: 5:45pm Sir Raymond Ferrall Lecture Theatre, The University of Tasmania’s Newnham campus
Warhol: Just look at the surface of my paintings and films and me, and there I am. There’s nothing behind it. However, Warhol’s Zen Koan statement begs closer investigation. Bearing in mind Warhol’s near-death experience after being shot in 1968 while looking at Widowed Jackies and Electric Chairs as well as the Camouflaged Last Supper of his later years, we see that his art is anything but superficial. His portrayal of a gun, in fact, reveals he same model that had been used tin an attempt to kill him. This talk will highlight revelations from Warhol’s early biography that trace an awareness of the Buddhist concept of emptiness and of infinite repetition as well as his ardent practice of Byzantine venting Catholicism and how he applied both to his artwork. It illuminates his forewarnings about our 21st century ‘s obsession with the mass media. The depth of Warhol’s message finally comes out.
Deborah Jenner, American-born art historian; member of College Arts Association has resided in Paris since 1990. She has worked at the Ecole du Louvre, the Sorbonne, the Catholic Institute, and the British Council. Her Doctorate thesis proved non-western influences in Georgia O’Keeffe’s art. Deborah’s publications include catalogue essays for Musée d’Orsay and Centre Pompidou, many scholarly papers and Gallery critiques. She gives public talks, guided walks and museum tours for ex-pat organisations and study-abroad programs.
Wednesday 23 October 2024
HALF INTEREST DAY – 20th CENTURY INNOVATION IN INTERIOR DESIGN
Presented by Deborah Jenner
Venue & Time: To be advised
Lecture 1
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Sense of Place, focusses on private homes for the middle-class, constructed with local materials to harmonise with their natural landscapes from deserts and prairies to forests and waterfalls. Ecologically they are ahead of their times. From Falling Water, a millionaire’s retreat in Pennsylvania, to affordable urban housing in Milwaukee, each construction is married to its unique setting. His all-on-one-level Prairie houses spread out over Mid-West farmland, while the ascending spiral ramp in the Guggenheim Museum in New York completely redefined gallery spaces. Not only are Wright’s buildings America’s icons of 20th century architecture, but they also offer the key to novel solutions for the new millennium worldwide.
Lecture 2
Pull up a Chair: architect-designed furniture from the Bauhaus to Frank Gehry 20th century furniture popularized prefabrication and poured materials. Architect designers created pieces adapted from a bicycle frame and wire racking, and exploited plastics and layers of corrugated cardboard. Each piece makes a statement about their respective architectural styles, yet each can blend with and update more classical interiors. Even the uncomfortable ones can serve as a sculptural work of art.
ADFAS LAUNCESTON YOUNG ARTS PROGRAM
The object of our Young Arts Program is to inspire young people with an enthusiasm for the Arts. As well as direct donations from ADFAS members, we conduct raffles and organise special functions to raise money for this Program to provide financial support assisting young people, under 22 years of age, to experience a range of local artistic endeavours-music, painting, poetry, sculpture, singing, photography, and dance/movement.
ADFAS Young Arts does not run programs, it offers funding sponsorship for young people to have exposure to arts activities that would otherwise not be possible for them. Preference is given to projects benefiting a group rather than an individual, and to projects without the capacity to attract institutional funding.
ADFAS Young Arts has supported a variety of art projects and in 2019 Launceston ADFAS was the winner of The Pauline Hopkins Cup, awarded in recognition of the variety and achievements of its 2018 Program of Young Arts.
For further details, contact the ADFAS Young Arts Coordinator: launceston@adfas.org.au