Camarillo, Calif., September 23, 2003 - California State University Channel Islands will host an interdisciplinary symposium relating to the life and work of American artist James McNeill Whistler. The symposium, which will take place on Saturday, October 4, is in connection with an exhibition of some of the artist's work currently on display at the Studio Channel Islands Art Center, located on the campus of Cal State Channel Islands.
Organized by Irina D. Costache, Associate Professor of Art History at Cal State Channel Islands, the daylong symposium will feature a series of panel discussions with scholars from Cal State Channel Islands, Cal State University Northridge, and art professionals from the local area. Analyzing Whistler's life and work from a wide variety of viewpoints, the symposium will touch upon issues of tourism, psychology, education, and the environment.
The symposium is the closing event for “Nocturnal Symphony: The Legacy of James McNeill Whistler,” an exhibition honoring the centennial of Whistler's death. The exhibition has some local significance since the American artist worked for the U.S. Coast Survey and sketched Anacapa Island. The exhibition and symposium are part of a series of events organized in the United States and Europe celebrating this important year.
“The exhibition will serve as a starting point for discussions on a wide variety of issues such as prints and the development of tourism in the nineteenth century, the psychology of artists, and art and the environment,” comments Professor Costache. “We hope this university event will serve as a catalyst for discussion that will not only benefit scholars but people from the local community who are interested in the arts as well.”
The symposium will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Studio Channel Islands Galleries, located on the campus of Cal State Channel Islands. Admission is free and includes breakfast (featuring pastries based on recipes from Whistler's mother's cookbook) and a light lunch. Open to the public.
For more information or to RSVP please contact the Studio Channel Islands Art Center at 805-383-1368.
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