Celebrating Ruskin's birthday - Fri 8th Feb - and Spring lecture dates

John Ruskin’s 200th birthday This week historians, artists, writers, friends will all be gathering to enthuse about the revelatory art and life of John Ruskin.

Born on 8th Feb 1819, Ruskin influenced his own generation of Victorian visionaries – and his voice continues to be heard in the 21st century. He guides us towards closer looking, more vivid insights, as we study the details of the natural world, or the beauty of art and buildings. He opens our eyes to questions of climate change, mental fragility, work, love, loss.
I have been privileged to work intimately with his letters, essays and pictures, as Research Curator at York Art Gallery for our forthcoming exhibition ‘Ruskin, Turner & the Storm Cloud’.


I have also been able to write about my own responses to his ideas in my new book, ‘To See Clearly: Why Ruskin Matters’. Miraculously, my super-sensitive publishers at Quercus have managed to get it printed in time for the birthday celebrations on Friday.
I will be speaking about Ruskin at events around the country this Spring. Many of these are already listed on the Ruskin200 website (a great resource for anyone interested in the wealth of activities this year.)To order from Waterstones
    Please do join me at one of these events. For Arts Society lectures, you will need to contact the local Society about guest access.
Mon 18 Feb       National Gallery London                            lunchtime talk   free                      1pmmore information
Thurs 21 Feb      Kenwood House (Arts Society)                 lecture on Edward Burne-Jones
Fri 15 March      Words by the Water, Keswick                   talk                                                  4pmfull programme details
Wed 20 March  Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester        Ruskin Matters symposium        1pmfull programme details
Mon 8th April     Art Fund at Society of Antiquaries, Burlington House                                    11.30   
Thur 2nd May     Sheffield Central Library                            evening talk                                    7pm
Wed 8th May      Ebor Arts Society, York                              lecture on Ruskin & Turner          6.30pm
Mon 20th May    York Art Gallery symposium                     Ruskin, Turner & the Storm Cloud
Wed 22nd May   York Art Gallery                                            Curator talk                                     12.30pm
Thurs 6th June    York Art Gallery                                            Curator talk                                     12.30pm
Tues 11th June   Cobham & Oxshott Arts Society                lecture on Ruskin & Turner          2.30pm
Sun 16th June     York Festival of Ideas                                  Arts, Science & Religion day      
 
And looking ahead to the Autumn
Sat 21st Sept       National Gallery conference on Ruskin: ‘Art for the Nation’full programme information
Thur 26th Sept    Rugby Arts Society                                       lecture on Ruskin & Turner 
Wed 16th Oct     Canterbury Arts Society                              lecture on Ruskin & Turner
Tues 22nd Oct     Cavendish Arts Society (Buxton)               lecture on Effie Gray, Ruskin & Millais
Tues 5th Nov       Borders Arts Society                                    lecture on Ruskin & Turner
Wed 6th Nov       Saltaire Arts Society                                    lecture on Ruskin & Turner