Daily News

Springfield Museums Announce Lecture, Tour Schedule for January

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Museums’ monthly lecture and tour schedule continues in January with the popular Museums à la Carte lectures, which take place each Thursday at 12:15 p.m. in the D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts.

Admission is $4 ($2 for members of the Springfield Museums), and visitors are invited to bring a bag lunch (cookies and coffee are provided). For more information about Museums à la Carte, call (413) 263-6800, ext. 488. This month’s lectures include:

Jan. 7: “The Last Blasket King, Pádraig Ó Catháin, An Rí,” a talk by Gerald Hayes, co-author of the book of the same name that he wrote with Eliza Kane, the great-great-granddaughter of the last king of the Great Blasket near Dingle, County Kerry, Ireland.

Jan. 14: “Why, How, and the 343:  Better Angels, The Firefighters of 9/11.” Dawn Howkinson Siebel, artist and creator of the “Better Angels” exhibit, shares her personal journey in creating this fascinating and powerful exhibit.

Jan. 21: “Leaving Our Mark: In Celebration of the Pencil — Artist’s Words and Views.” Steve Wilda, artist and organizer of “Leaving Our Mark,” will be joined by other artists featured in the exhibit, including Doug Gillette, Bill Simpson, Lesley Cohen, and Luciana Heineman.

Jan. 28: “The Klondike Gold Rush: A Chicopee Man Goes to the Yukon in 1898 (and Back).” Robert Romer, professor emeritus at Amherst College, brings to life the story of Chicopee’s John Gibson, an Irish immigrant who set out for the Klondike to seek his fortune.

As part of the Museums’ members-only “Continuing Conversations” series, museum docent Jim Boone will lead a guided gallery discussion immediately following the Jan. 14 talk at the Wood Museum of Springfield History, and docent Pat McCarthy will lead a post-lecture gallery discussion on Jan. 28 at the D’Amour Museum of Fine Art.