Symposium Archive
See information on past soviet art symposiums below.
Carthage’s third annual symposium featuring art from the Samuel and Berry Shoen Soviet Art Collection is titled “Visions Behind the Veil: Soviet Portraiture and Cultural Resilience.”
Jan. 14-16, 2025
Schedule of events
“VIsions Behind the Veil: Soviet Portraiture and Cultural resilience” Exhibition
Dec. 6-Jan. 19, H. F. Johnson Gallery of Art
Gallery hours: Noon-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, noon-8 p.m. Thursday, and 1-4 p.m. Saturday
See the third exhibition from the Samuel and Berry Shoen Collection of Soviet Art.
Special event: Conceptual Symposium Posters
Jan. 8-19, Visual and Performing Arts Lab
A second exhibition features a group of students from Graphic Design II.
Special event: ‘Visions Behind the Veil’ Opening Reception
3:30-6:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan 16, H. F. Johnson Gallery of Art
The opening reception will include a presentation by Jared Werner ’27, followed by a discussion with Curator and Visiting Assistant Professor Leslie Brothers.
Faculty Recital
11 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 14, H. F. Johnson Recital Hall
Carthage faculty Peter J. Thomas (cellist) will perform Sergei Prokofiev’s “Sonata in C Major for Cello and Piano, Op. 119” with pianist Jeannie Yu.
Anfractuous
1-3 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 15, Visual and Performing Arts Lab
Professor Joshua McGowan will host a screening of a Soviet-era animation by Yuri Norstein from 1979, “Tale of Tales.” After the screening, a discussion will be led by Prof. McGowan.
“The politics of Poetry-in-translation”
6-7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 15, Visual and Performing Arts Lab
Poet, translator, and editor Matvei Yankelevich will discuss translating and publishing Russian and Eastern European poetry before and after the Cold War. Professor Richard Meier will lead the introduction for this event.
Roundtable Discussion
1-3 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 16, H. F. Johnson Gallery of Art
Carthage professors Jerald Mast, Eric Pullin, Paul Ulrich, and will join the roundtable discussion “Peace, Parity, A New Cold War?” Faculty will take questions from the audience after the discussion.
Carthage’s the second annual symposium featuring art from the Samuel and Berry Shoen Soviet Art Collection is titled “From Canvas to Cosmos: Soviet Art, Solaris, Space Exploration, and the Science of Serene Spaces.”
Jan. 18-20, 2024
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
“Place/Trace” Exhibition
Dec. 1-Jan. 20, H. F. Johnson Gallery of Art
Gallery hours: Noon-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, noon-8 p.m. Thursday, and 1-4 p.m. Saturday
Curated by Ryan Peter Miller, “Place/Trace” is an exhibition of 20th century landscape paintings curated from Carthage’s Samuel and Berry Shoen Collection of Soviet Art. “Place/Trace” is a playful and speculative exhibition that contemplates the landscapes but also the trace evidence of the people and artists who called these places home.
A second exhibition features a group of 2024 graduating studio art majors. In advance of their senior thesis, this showcase is a coquettish display of what’s to come. Representing a breadth of media, including ceramics, illustration, installation, video, photography, sculpture, painting and fibers, this exposition is a springboard event for our emerging professional artists.
Special event: Opening Reception
3:30-6:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 18, H.F. Johnson Gallery of Art
The opening reception will include food and fellowship, as well as presentations from three student art history researchers: Kassie Kelnhofer ’26, Abigail Smith ’25, and Kelsey Spofford ’25. A Curator’s Talk will also be led by Ryan Peter Miller.
“Her Dream Factory: Women and the Socialist Realist Narrative in East German Films”
11 a.m.-Noon, Thursday, Jan. 18, Visual and Performing Arts Lab
Professor Gregory Baer will discuss East German films.
Film Screening: Tarkovsky’s film “Solaris” (1972)
3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19, Campbell Student Union Auditorium
Carthage faculty Eric Hahn and Jojin Van Winkle will host a screening of director Andrei Tarkovsky’s film from 1972. “Solaris” is a haunting, meditative film that uses sci-fi to raise complex questions about humanity, technology, and existence. In the film, a psychologist travels to a space station orbiting the planet Solaris to investigate the death of a doctor and the deteriorating mental states of cosmonauts on the station. Runtime: 2 hours, 49 minutes.
Following the screening will be a brief talk by James Kreul, a moving image curator, critic, scholar, maker, and enthusiast from Madison, Wisconsin. The talk will be followed by a discussion with Eric Hahn, Jojin Van Winkle, and James Kreul over a light dinner with “Solaris attendees” in the Carthage Student Union (fireplace area).
“The Science of Beautiful Spaces”
4:15p.m. Friday, Jan. 19, H.F. Johnson Gallery of Art
Esther Sternberg is internationally recognized for her discoveries in the science of the mind-body interaction in illness and healing, and the role of place in well-being. She is a pioneer and major force in collaborative initiatives on mind-body-stress-wellness and environment interrelationships.
The New Space Race: A Roundtable Discussion
5-6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, H. F. Johnson Gallery of Art
We are looking at significant historical events within the arc of Soviet history that resonate with what is discussed in classes across campus and our world. Sputnik and the space race of the late-50s to mid-70s led us to 21st-century space exploration, where a ‘new space race’ is developing. Please join us for a roundtable discussion of this dynamic topic with implications that span scientific, political, historical, cultural and legal dimensions.
Special guests: (Carthage faculty) Kevin Crosby, Jean Quashnock, Temple Burling, Eric Hahn, Doug Arion (faculty emeritus), and (University of Michigan Law School faculty) Donald Moore.
Questions from the audience and a reception will follow.
Carthage hosted an arts symposium Jan. 26-28 to showcase its new collection of Soviet-era artwork, generously donated by collectors Samuel and Berry Shoen.
The $3.8 million collection includes oil paintings and drawings from Armenia, Byelorussia, Russia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan when the areas were under Soviet rule in the 20th Century. See the pieces on display and enjoy other special events.
“There’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” – Leonard Cohen
Schedule of Events
All events are free and open to the public.
Milestones: Soviet-Era Art Exhibition
January 17-29,H. F. Johnson Gallery of Art
Gallery hours: Noon-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, noon-8 p.m. Thursday, and 1-4 p.m. Saturday
“Milestones” is the first exhibition of works in the ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Samuel and Berry Shoen Collection of Soviet Art. The exhibition includes works by artists such as Tkachev, Krylov, Nechitailo, and Semenyuk. The exhibition is guest curated by Dr. Masha Zavialova.
Special event: Curator’s Talk
3 p.m., Friday, Jan. 27, Recital Hall
Special event: Reception
4-6 p.m., Friday, Jan. 27, H. F. Johnson Gallery of Art
Let us know that you will be joining us!
A Man With A Movie Camera
7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 26, Campbell Student Union Auditorium
Professors Eric Hahn and Jojin Van Winkle will host a screening of the Soviet documentary film “A Man With A Movie Camera” (1929). Famous for both its cinematic techniques and the portrayal of Soviet life, the film is considered one of the greatest films of all time. Carthage welcomes guest speaker Jeremy Workman, an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker, for this special event.
Shostakovich Cello Sonata
1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 28, Recital Hall
Acclaimed artist and Carthage cello instructor Peter Thomas, along with pianist Matthew Bergey, will perform Shostakovich’s cello sonata. Associate professor of music Dimitri Shapovalov will introduce the history and context of the work.
A Conversation with a Collector
3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 28, Johnson Recital Hall
Carthage’s own Gregory Berg interviews Carthage Distinguished Alumnus Ray Johnson, owner of Overland Gallery. Ray will share stories about his journey from a young Carthage undergraduate who became a pastor to an internationally recognized collector and holder of one of the largest collections of Soviet art in the world.
Special Event: Reception
4-5:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 28, H. F. Johnson Gallery of Art
Let us know that you will be joining us!
Artworks from Carthage’s Samuel and Berry Shoen Soviet Art Collection
Between Battles. Oil on Canvas. Aleksei and Sergei Tkachev.
Boy From Kirgistan. Oil on Board. Vasili Arlashin.
Last Days of Lenin #2. Oil on Board. Michael Weinstein.
Katia Kuznetsova. Oil on Canvas. Vasili Nechitailo
The Village of Vashgort. Oil on Board. Yuri Semenyuk.
Download the gallery floorplan and read more about artwork and artists who painted them