This fall, Muskegon Community College Art Instructor Tim Norris and History Instructors Kurt Troutman and George Maniates will lead a voyage into American art and history in “The Art of Gettysburg and the Civil War,” a special lecture series and exhibition to be presented at the Muskegon Museum of Art (MMA). The program will conclude with an optional four-day guided excursion to Gettysburg National Military Park.
Lectures at MMA
The lectures take place on six consecutive Monday evenings from Sept. 14 through Oct. 19 from 6-8 p.m. at the Muskegon Museum of Art’s Frey Auditorium, 296 W. Webster Ave, in downtown Muskegon.
Participants will learn how the Civil War, the pivotal event in American history, changed the course of our country and how it shaped the work of artists such as Winslow Homer, an artist represented in the MMA’s collection with paintings and fine art prints. The MMA will display Civil War-related works of art from its collection during the run of the program, including a significant collection of prints by Homer.
The lectures will include introductions on various important aspects of the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg for a more thorough understanding of the era and the historical context surrounding the works of art on display.
Topics will also cover how our nation’s memorials and monuments have evolved over time and how the fledgling art of photography came of age in the 1860s to forever change people’s view of war.
The total cost of all six lectures is $60 or $50 for members of the Muskegon Museum of Art, USS Silversides Museum, USS LST 393 Veteran’s Museum, Lakeshore Museum Center, and Tri-Cities Historical Museum. Contact the Muskegon Museum of Art at (231) 720-2571 to register and pay for only the Lecture Series. Individual lectures are $10 each; pay at the door.
Excursion to the Gettysburg Battlefield
After the lecture series conclude, an excursion to Gettysburg National Military Park will be offered on Oct. 23-26 by MCC’s Center for Experiential Learning. The trip is limited to 50 participants.
The cost of the Lecture Series and the Gettysburg excursion is $450 per person. The fee includes all six lectures and a four-day guided tour of Gettysburg, chartered bus, double occupancy hotel accommodations, breakfast buffet, battlefield guides, and museum admission tickets. (Note: an additional $25 cash gratuity for battlefield guides, bus driver, and hotel staff will be collected on the day of the trip. A full itinerary will be mailed to all tour registrants.
The trip registration deadline is September 11. To register and pay for the Gettysburg excursion and for additional trip information, please contact MCC History Instructor Kurt Troutman at (231) 777-0639