Mornington Peninsula

Friday 27 February 2026
JOHANNES VERMEER AND THE ABSENT SUBJECT
Presented by Albert Godetzky
Venue & Time: Balcombe Grammar School, 5.30pm start

Vermeer’s paintings might be considered typical examples of Dutch art but his serene interiors seem oddly different from his contemporaries’ works.  Why? What exactly is the subject of a painting by Vermeer?  Is it the merry couple enjoying wine and music, the elegant furnishings, or is it the light and shadow which creates the tonal nuances of his compositions?

Albert received his PhD on Haarlem Mannerism from the Courtauld Institute where he was Associate Lecturer in Early Modern Art until 2025. He has worked at several European institutions including the National Gallery, London, as the Harry M. Weinrebe Curatorial Fellow, where he contributed to exhibitions including Rembrandt: The Late Works and Vermeer and Music: The Art of Love and Leisure. In 2022, he was guest curator of Silent Rebels: Polish Symbolism around 1900 at the Munich Kunsthalle and co-authored its catalogue. His research has appeared in The Burlington Magazine, Art in America, Art History, The Netherlands Yearbook for History of Art, and the ‘Visual Commentary on Scripture’ among others. He is currently a lead researcher for a private collection in the Netherlands and is also preparing a book-length biography of the Dutch artist Hendrick Goltzius for Reaktion Press.

To book please email: adfasmp@gmail.com

Friday 13 March 2026
THE ART OF MAPS: ANCIENT MEDIEVAL AND MODERN
Presented by John Williamson
Venue & Time: Balcombe Grammar School, 5.30pm start

This lecture discusses the development of maps of the world from the earliest civilisations to the most recent digital creations.  The maps show gradual improvement for purposes of shipping, trade and national sovereignty.  Most importantly, ancient, medieval and modern maps are always works of complexity, skill and beauty.

John is currently the Coordinator of Humanities and Senior Teacher, Fahan School. Until 2019 John was also Associate Lecturer Bachelor of Antarctic Studies Programme, IASOS, at the University of Tasmania. He has operated as a Historian / Guide for the Quark Expeditions, “The Wonders of the Ross Sea” Antarctic Voyage and Researcher and Tour Guide for “Hobart’s Waterways Tours”, Hobart City Council. John has also been an Antarctic History Researcher, ‘Antarctic Tasmania’, Department of Premier and Cabinet, Tasmanian Government. John has written numerous published articles on his areas of interest.

To book please email: adfasmp@gmail.com

Friday 8 May 2026
DAMIEN HIRST AND CONTEMPORARY ART
Presented by David Worthington
Venue & Time: Balcombe Grammar School, 5.30pm start

In his home country, Damien Hirst is often seen as a practical joker, pulling the wool over the eyes of the public, and not making proper art at all.  This lecture aims to dispel this view and show that he is a deeply serious artist making work that is significant and influential.

David Worthington was drawn to abstract sculpture after seeing a work by English artist and sculptor – Barbara Hepworth, in a school history book, when he was 10 years old. He graduated from Oxford University in1984 with a degree in Philosophy and Theology, followed by studying Fine Art in London, Barcelona and New York. David is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Sculptors and was Vice President in 2010-13. He has carried out public commissions in the UK, America and Japan.

To book please email: adfasmp@gmail.com

Friday 12 June 2026
THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORNINGTON PENINSULA REGIONAL GALLERY
Presented by Rodney James
Venue & Time: Balcombe Grammar School, 5.30pm start

The pivotal role of leading art critic and historian Allan McCulloch in establishing the Mornington Peninsula Arts Centre is examined in this lecture. The Gallery moved to its current location at Civic Reserve in 1990 and now boasts a significant collection of over 1,900 artworks, including paintings, drawings , prints and sculptures, with a focus on Australian art and the cultural heritage of the Mornington Peninsula.

Rodney James is a highly regarded art consultant and valuer who provides quality and affordable collection valuations, research, writing and strategic advice for galleries and museums throughout Australia. As a curator and writer, he specialises in nineteenth and twentieth century art writing and research, collection management, exhibitions, visual art projects and museum policy and strategy.

To book please email: adfasmp@gmail.com

Friday 3 July 2026
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY’: Unexpected Uses of Portraiture
Presented by Barry Venning
Venue & Time: Balcombe Grammar School, 5.30pm start

This lecture considers some of the more unusual uses of portraiture from building an encyclopaedia of the tattoos that recorded Russian prisoners’ crimes to demonstrating the effects of genetics.  These uses are only two examples from a range of artists producing startling portraits for reasons that may be amusing, profoundly moving and completely unexpected.

Barry Venning is an art historian whose interests and teaching range from the art of late medieval Europe to global contemporary art. He has published books, articles and exhibition catalogue essays on Turner, Constable and European landscape painting, but also has an ongoing research interest in postcolonial art and British visual satire. He works as a consultant and associate lecturer for the Open University. His media work includes two BBC TV documentaries, radio appearances for BBC local radio and ABC Australia, and a DVD on Turner for the Tate.

To book please email: adfasmp@gmail.com

Friday 31 July 2026
PERSEPOLIS: Art, Architecture and Ideology of the Persian Empire
Presented by James Renshaw
Venue & Time: Balcombe Grammar School, 5.30pm start

From the sixth to the eighth century BCE the Persian Empire was the largest empire in the world.  Around 515, its third Great King Darius ! commissioned the building of a new city Persepolis, with his palace at its centre. What can this palace and its art tell us about the ideology of this extraordinary, influential empire?

Following a degree in Classics from Oxford University, James has taught Classics at secondary school level since 1998, including early in his career at Sydney Grammar School. He currently teaches at Godolphin and Latymer in London; here he runs the school’s Ancient World Breakfast Club, which has an ethos similar to that of The Arts Society. Since 1998, James has published a number of textbooks related to the classical world, including In Search of the Greeks and In Search of the Romans. James has also lectured for the V&A Academy, most recently on their Classical World and its Afterlife and Classicism from the Ancients to the Renaissance courses. James is a keen traveller and photographer of ancient sites.

To book please email: adfasmp@gmail.com

Friday 4 September 2026
THE FASCINATION OF JEWELLERY: Important Women Collectors
Presented by Claire Blatherwick
Venue & Time: Balcombe Grammar School, 5.30pm start

This lecture looks at the collections of four very different women and their approaches to jewellery: how their backgrounds influenced their choices, and the messages jewellery can send in respect of status, wealth and politics.  Marjorie Merriwealther Post. Evalyn Walsh McLean, Madeleine Albright and Elizabeth Taylor are the subject of this richly illustrated talk.

Clare Blatherwick is an independent jewellery consultant based in Scotland. She has over twenty years of experience in the jewellery business, ten of which were spent as Head of Jewellery for Bonhams in Scotland, a role which saw her travel internationally searching for wonderful jewels to be auctioned around the globe. She has a keen interest in the historical aspect of jewellery and has lectured and appeared on various TV programmes in the UK and US as a jewellery expert.

To book please email: adfasmp@gmail.com

Friday 9 October 2026
THE JAPANESE GARDEN IN THE WEST: 100 years of Eastern Influence
Presented by Amanda Herries
Venue & Time: Balcombe Grammar School, 5.30pm start

The serenity, asymmetry and control of a Japanese garden is a seductive contrast to Western symmetry, form and free growth.  So, we ask, is it possible to create a ‘Japanese’ garden outside Japan, or do we merely give it a Japanese voice?

Amanda Herries read Archaeology & Anthropology at Cambridge. 1978-1988 she was Curator at Museum of London specialising in the decorative arts 1714 to present day, exhibitions, lectures, booklets, broadcasts. 1988-1995 Amanda moved with family to Japan, lecturing and writing on Oriental / Western cross-cultural and artistic influences. 1995 she returned to UK, fundraising for arts companies, writing, lecturing and guiding tours to Japan and curating exhibitions. Most recent publications on Japanese plant and garden influences in the West and the life of Henry Raeburn, Scotland’s foremost portrait painter.

To book please email: adfasmp@gmail.com

Friday 6 November 2026
ON THE WILD SIDE: Filming Creatures Great and Small
Presented by Pieter de Vries
Venue & Time: Balcombe Grammar School, 5.30pm start

In this lecture Pieter will share his techniques for capturing extraordinary images for Sir David Attenborough and National Geographic.  From playful Macaque monkeys in China to majestic Cassowaries in Northern Australia, Pieter will illustrate his presentation with segments from his nature documentaries.

Filmmaker Pieter de Vries is one of the leading documentary cinematographers in the world. His career has seen him filming the Red Army in China, rats in the sewers of New York, and the wreck of the Titanic. Pieter has contributed to programs hosted by Sir David Attenborough and was Director of Photography for Darwin’s Lost Paradise. His numerous awards have included Cinematographer of the Year, and an Emmy nomination.

To book please email: adfasmp@gmail.com