SPRING 2013
Bike Tour of Austin's Cultural Campus TOUR SATURDAY, MAY 11, 9:30 A.M.
Meet at Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop (400 Nueces)
Explore art, history, the humanities, and science while enjoying a casual bike ride! Co-hosted by Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop and the Austin Cycling Association, this no-drop, co-ed group ride is perfect for cyclists of all levels and riding abilities. Total distance is about 6 miles.
On this route, we'll visit museums that are part of Austin's Cultural Campus: the Blanton Museum of Art, Harry Ransom Center, the LBJ Presidential Library, and the Visual Arts Center. Docents will briefly share museum highlights.
Information: Ride size is limited, so please RSVP to julie@mellowjohnnys.com. Helmets and signed waiver are required. Ride may be cancelled in the event of inclement weather; please check mellowjohnnys.com for updated information. We will not ride if the temperature is below 50 degrees at ride time.
Curator's tour of Arnold Newman: Masterclass TOUR THURSDAY, MAY 9, 7 P.M.
Roy Flukinger, Senior Research Curator of Photography, leads a tour of Arnold Newman: Masterclass on Thursday, May 9, at 7 p.m.
This exhibition explores the career of photographer Arnold Newman (1918–2006), who created iconic portraits of some of the most influential innovators, celebrities, and cultural figures of the twentieth century. Newman's archive resides at the Ransom Center.
A bold modernist with a superb sense of compositional geometry, Newman is known for a crisp, spare style that situates his subjects in their personal surroundings rather than in a photographer's studio. Marlene Dietrich, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Arthur Miller, Salvador Dalí, and Pablo Picasso are only a few of his celebrated sitters. Featuring more than 200 of these well-known masterworks, Arnold Newman: Masterclass also includes rarely seen work prints and contact sheets.
The first major exhibition of the photographer's work since his death, Arnold Newman: Masterclass showcases the entire range of Newman's photography, featuring many prints for the first time.
Two books are available in conjunction with the exhibition, both of which will be available for sale after the tour. Masterclass: Arnold Newman is a fully-illustrated catalogue published by Thames & Hudson Inc., New York. Arnold Newman: At Work (University of Texas Press and Harry Ransom Center) by Ransom Center Senior Research Curator of Photography Roy Flukinger provides a contextual overview of the Ransom Center's Newman archive, revealing unprecedented insights into Newman's process and creativity.
The event is free, but donations are welcome. If you cannot attend the curator's tour, docent-led tours of the exhibition are offered Tuesdays at noon, Thursdays at 6 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Poetry on the Plaza: Singers and Songwriters READING WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, NOON
Poetry on the Plaza: Singers and Songwriters
Harry Ransom Lecture with Kevin Powers LECTURE TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 7 P.M.
Amphitheater, AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center
Kevin Powers, author of the critically acclaimed war novel The Yellow Birds, discusses his work. A book signing follows. Presented by the University Co-op.
Guild-level members and above are invited to a reception with Kevin Powers prior to the lecture. RSVP required.
Members of the Harry Ransom Center receive complimentary parking and priority entry at this program. Doors open at 6:20 p.m. for members and at 6:30 p.m. for the general public. Members must present their membership cards for priority entrance; one seat per membership card. Members arriving after 6:30 p.m. will join the general queue. Complimentary parking for members is available at the University Co-op garage at 23rd and San Antonio streets.
"Toying with the Truth" LECTURE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 7 P.M.
Photographer David Levinthal presents "Toying with the Truth" on Wednesday, April 24, at 7 p.m. at the Harry Ransom Center.
VIEW A LIVE WEBCAST of this event starting at approximately 7 p.m. CST on Wednesday, April 24.
Levinthal finds toys and other objects that he uses in his artwork to be reflections of both the period and the culture that they have come from. He incorporates the objects of the social landscape—from Barbie to toy soldiers—into his work. In his talk, Levinthal will present examples from his body of work from the last 40 years.
The event is free, but donations are welcome. Seating is limited. Line forms upon arrival of the first patron, and doors open 30 minutes in advance.
"America's Best Magazine?: Commentary in the 1960s" LECTURE THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 7 P.M.
Author Morris Dickstein presents the lecture "America's Best Magazine?: Commentary in the 1960s" on Thursday, April 18, at 7 p.m.
The Commentary archive resides at the Ransom Center and includes correspondence with Norman Mailer, Bernard Malamud, James Baldwin, and Elie Wiesel.
Founded in 1945 as a monthly journal of general interest from within the Jewish community, Commentary went through a dramatic shift in 1960 under its new editor, Norman Podhoretz, who applied more rigorous critical standards and made greater use of strong-minded New York intellectuals such as Irving Howe, Alfred Kazin, and Mailer. The magazine responded to all the major controversies of the decade, from the Eichmann trial and the civil rights movement to the Vietnam War and the Columbia student uprising.
Morris Dickstein is Distinguished Professor of English and Theatre at the CUNY Graduate Center. His most recent book, Dancing in the Dark: A Cultural History of the Great Depression, received the Ambassador Book Award in American Studies in 2010.
The event is free, but donations are welcome. Seating is limited. Line forms upon arrival of the first patron, and doors open 30 minutes in advance.
This program is co-sponsored by the Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies at The University of Texas at Austin. The Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation made a generous donation to support this program and the cataloging of the Commentary magazine archive.
Ransom Center Series: Arnold Newman Portraits DEMONSTRATION SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 11 A.M.–1:30 P.M.
Central Market, 4001 North Lamar
Inspired by Arnold Newman's portraits, Central Market Cooking School Chef Louis Ortiz created this menu drawn from some of the fine dining establishments popular in the 1950s and 1960s and the luminaries (such as Woody Allen, Marilyn Monroe, and Salvador Dalí) who frequented them. Representatives from the Ransom Center will be on hand to discuss the exhibition, as you enjoy this cooking class and demonstration. The menu includes Russian Tea Room Salad; Romanoff's Crab-stuffed Tomato; Louie's Poached Egg Tribute to Salvador Dalí; Russian Tea Room Beef Stroganoff; and Strawberries Romanoff.
Pre-payment and registration required.
The cost of the class is $50. Ransom Center members receive 10% discount off of registration; members, please call 512-232-3669 for the discount code. We recommend that you register early, as the class size is limited. The class takes place at the Central Market Cooking School, located at 4001 North Lamar Boulevard.
Photographer Larry Towell PERFORMANCE THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 7 P.M.
AUDITORIUM, THE BELO CENTER FOR NEW MEDIA
Magnum photographer, poet, and folk musician Larry Towell presents an evening of photography and music, with accompaniment by musician Mike Stevens, on Thursday, April 11, at 7 p.m., in the Belo Center for New Media Auditorium at The University of Texas at Austin.
Towell presents a selection of his work in a multimedia performance incorporating still images, video, poetry, and song. He will be accompanied by harmonica virtuoso Stevens.
Towell is the author of 12 books, and his exhibitions have toured North America and Europe. Stevens is best known for his groundbreaking work in bluegrass music and is a member of The Grand Ole Opry.
The Magnum Photos archive resides at the Ransom Center.
Concert Crawl, Austin's Cultural Campus PERFORMANCE SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 1-4 P.M.
The Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music and Austin's Cultural Campus present a Cultural Campus Concert Crawl. On April 6, students from the Butler School of Music perform short, informal chamber music concerts in five museums from Austin's Cultural Campus. Each mini-concert features a variety of music masterworks, specifically chosen to respond to the art and collections exhibited at the museums. Concerts begin at 1 p.m. repeat continuously until 4 p.m. Travel from museum to museum and enjoy an inspiring afternoon of music, history, art, and fun.
Geometries of the Book: Preservers, Transformers, Academics LECTURE THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 7 P.M.
Michael F. Suarez, S.J., Director of Rare Book School at the University of Virginia, delivers the annual Carl H. and Lily Pforzheimer lecture. A reception follows. Co-sponsored by the TILTS Symposia 2012–13: The Fate of the Book.
Poetry on the Plaza: Poetry of Sport READING WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, NOON
The Harry Ransom Center presents the Poetry on the Plaza event Poetry of Sport on Wednesday, April 3, at noon.
As the Ransom Center looks ahead to the summer 2013 exhibition Literature and Sport, join us on the plaza as readers from the world of sport recite poetry devoted to sport in all its forms.
Mark your calendar for the final Poetry on the Plaza of the season, Singers and Songwriters, on May 1.
"Pastel: Materials, Techniques and Genres" LECTURE TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 3 P.M.
The Harry Ransom Center presents conservator Thea Burns discussing "Pastel: Materials, Techniques, and Genres," on Tuesday, April 2, at 3 p.m. at the Ransom Center.
Pastel has unique qualities—it is used directly and dry, it is readily portable, and it is inherently fragile and vulnerable to vibration and rubbing. How have these characteristics attracted artists historically to adopt pastel for particular subjects? Burns reviews selected works by professional and amateur artists of the eighteenth to twentieth centuries who have found pastel appropriate for portraiture, natural science records, impressionist subjects, social commentary, and landscape imagery.
Burns received her Ph.D. from the Courtauld Institute, University of London, M.A.C; from the Art Conservation Program, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario; and B.A. from McGill University, Montreal. She received a certificate in paper conservation from the Center for Conservation and Technical Studies, now Straus Center, Harvard University Art Museums. She served as Helen H. Glaser Senior Paper Conservator for Special Collections in the Harvard College Library; Associate Professor in the Art Conservation Program, Queen's University; and as a conservator in private practice.
She is the author of The Invention of Pastel Painting (Archetype, 2007) and The Luminous Trace: Drawing and Writing in Metalpoint (Archetype, 2012).
Classical Reinvention and Dance Action PERFORMANCE FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 7 P.M.
Classical Reinvention, a University of Texas at Austin student organization, performs classical music paired with dance and images from the Harry Ransom Center's photography collection as part of the Cohen New Works Festival on Friday, March 29, at 7 p.m.
As part of the Cohen New Works Festival presented by the University Co-op, student organizations Dance Action and Classical Reinvention join forces for Synthesis, an original work that unifies movement, live music, and photography. Collaborating choreographers, dancers, and musicians step beyond the boundaries of the traditional theater to bring their invention into the Ransom Center.
The event is free, but donations are welcome. Seating is limited.
Arnold Newman's Life and Work LECTURE THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 7 P.M.
Marianne Fulton, writer, teacher, and former chief curator of the George Eastman House, discusses the work of photographer Arnold Newman on Thursday, March 28, at 7 p.m.
The program is in conjunction with the exhibition Arnold Newman: Masterclass, which runs through May 12. The exhibition explores the career of Newman (1918–2006), who created iconic portraits of some of the most influential innovators, celebrities, and cultural figures of the twentieth century. Newman's archive resides at the Ransom Center.
Fulton wrote the introduction for Arnold Newman: At Work (2013), published by the University of Texas Press and Ransom Center. Fulton has worked in the field of photography as a curator, editor, archivist, and writer for over 30 years. From 1975 to 2002, Fulton served in a variety of positions, including chief curator, acting director, and senior scholar, at the George Eastman House.
The book will be available for purchase at the event.
The event is free, but donations are welcome. Seating is limited. Line forms upon arrival of the first patron, and doors open 30 minutes in advance.
Classical Reinvention and Dance Action PERFORMANCE TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 7 P.M.
Classical Reinvention, a University of Texas at Austin student organization, performs classical music paired with dance and images from the Harry Ransom Center's photography collection on Tuesday, March 26, at 7 p.m. They will repeat the performance on Friday, March 29, at 7 p.m.
As part of the Cohen New Works Festival presented by the University Co-op, student organizations Dance Action and Classical Reinvention join forces for Synthesis, an original work that unifies movement, live music, and photography. Collaborating choreographers, dancers, and musicians step beyond the boundaries of the traditional theater to bring their invention into the Ransom Center.
The event is free, but donations are welcome. Seating is limited.
Reading by T. C. Boyle READING THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 7:30 P.M.
AVAYA AUDITORIUM IN THE ACES BUILDING
The Michener Center for Writers at The University of Texas at Austin hosts a reading by author T. C. Boyle. Boyle's archive resides at the Ransom Center.
Behind-the-Scenes Tour and Reception MEMBER EVENT WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 7 P.M.
Enjoy a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the Ransom Center at this curators' reception with tours, collection materials on display especially for members, and light bites. Open to new members. Invitation-only; RSVP required.
Curator's tour of Arnold Newman: Masterclass TOUR THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 7 P.M.
Roy Flukinger, Senior Research Curator of Photography, leads a tour of Arnold Newman: Masterclass on Thursday, March 7, at 7 p.m.
This exhibition explores the career of photographer Arnold Newman (1918–2006), who created iconic portraits of some of the most influential innovators, celebrities, and cultural figures of the twentieth century. Newman's archive resides at the Ransom Center.
A bold modernist with a superb sense of compositional geometry, Newman is known for a crisp, spare style that situates his subjects in their personal surroundings rather than in a photographer's studio. Marlene Dietrich, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Arthur Miller, Salvador Dalí, and Pablo Picasso are only a few of his celebrated sitters. Featuring more than 200 of these well-known masterworks, Arnold Newman: Masterclass also includes rarely seen work prints and contact sheets.
The first major exhibition of the photographer's work since his death, Arnold Newman: Masterclass showcases the entire range of Newman's photography, featuring many prints for the first time.
Two books are available in conjunction with the exhibition, both of which will be available for sale after the tour. Masterclass: Arnold Newman is a fully-illustrated catalogue published by Thames & Hudson Inc., New York. Arnold Newman: At Work (University of Texas Press and Harry Ransom Center) by Ransom Center Senior Research Curator of Photography Roy Flukinger provides a contextual overview of the Ransom Center's Newman archive, revealing unprecedented insights into Newman's process and creativity.
The event is free, but donations are welcome. If you cannot attend the curator's tour, docent-led tours of the exhibition are offered Tuesdays at noon, Thursdays at 6 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Poetry on the Plaza: Portraits READING WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, NOON
The Harry Ransom Center presents the Poetry on the Plaza event Portraits on Wednesday, March 6, at noon. For centuries poets have relied on language to create vivid portraits of luminaries, lovers, and friends.
This event is inspired by the current exhibition Arnold Newman: Masterclass, which explores the career of Arnold Newman, one of the finest portrait photographers of the twentieth century.
Join us for the next Poetry on the Plaza event Poetry of Sport on Wednesday, April 3.
Explore UT TOUR SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 11 A.M.–5 P.M.
Visit the Ransom Center for family-friendly activities during this campus-wide celebration.
TILTS: Academic Publishing DISCUSSION THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 7 P.M.
William Chace, former president of Wesleyan University and Emory University; Elaine Treharne, professor of English at Stanford University; and Eric Rasmussen, rare book collector and editor of the RSC Shakespeare editions, discuss the status of the academic monograph and published research. This event is part of the Texas Institute for Literary and Textual Studies (TILTS) Symposia 2012–13: The Fate of the Book.
"Face to Face" OPENING FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 7 P.M.
Join us for "Face to Face," the opening reception for the exhibition Arnold Newman: Masterclass. Free for Ransom Center members; $20 for non-members.
Views and Brews: Arnold Newman DISCUSSION TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 5:30 P.M.
CACTUS CAFE, TEXAS UNION BUILDING
The Harry Ransom Center and KUT 90.5 present a "Views and Brews" event exploring the work of photographer Arnold Newman on Tuesday, February 12, at 5:30 p.m. at the Cactus Café in the Texas Union Building.
In conjunction with the Ransom Center's current exhibition Arnold Newman: Masterclass, KUT producer Rebecca McInroy and Roy Flukinger, Ransom Center Senior Research Curator of Photography, delve into the career of Newman, one of the finest portrait photographers of the twentieth century.
Newman's archive resides at the Ransom Center. The exhibition runs through May 12.
The event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited.
Magicians and Charlatans DISCUSSION THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 7 P.M.
The Harry Ransom Center hosts Jed Perl, Art Critic for The New Republic, for a discussion about the state of the art world and the future of fine publishing with Peter Kayafas, director of the Eakins Press Foundation, on Thursday, February 7, at 7 p.m.
Perl's new book, Magicians and Charlatans: Essays on Art and Culture, is the latest publication of Eakins Press, which since 1966 has been producing legendary art and photography books, including Lee Friedlander's The American Monument, Walker Evans's Message from the Interior, and Lincoln Kirstein's Elie Nadelman. In Magicians and Charlatans, Perl writes about the art scene of the past decade, exploring new museums and galleries and offering controversial critiques of the painter Gerhard Richter, the art dealer Leo Castelli, and the Museum of Modern Art. Perl and Kayafas will be discussing the growing need for independent voices—both in the art and publishing worlds.
The event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. Line forms upon arrival of the first patron, and doors open 30 minutes in advance.
A book signing follows.
Poetry on the Plaza: Harlem Renaissance READING WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, NOON
In commemoration of African American History Month, the Harry Ransom Center presents the Poetry on the Plaza event Harlem Renaissance on Wednesday, February 6, at noon.
Invited speakers will read poetry from the Harlem Renaissance, a flourishing of African American arts and culture between the two world wars.
Mark your calendar for the remaining Poetry on the Plaza events this season: Portraits on March 6, Poetry of Sport on April 3, and Singers and Songwriters on May 1.
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