Highlights include a groundbreaking lecture on King Tut and a free holiday concert
The National Arts Club (NAC) continues its 125th season of free arts programming in December with a host of virtual and in-person programs covering topics from archaeology to literature to dance. All programs are free and open to the public. In-person programs are held at the NAC’s historic clubhouse, the Samuel Tilden Mansion, at 15 Gramercy Park South, New York City.
RSVP for all programs at nationalartsclub.eventbrite.com.
A Christmas Memory
Monday, December 4, 6:30 pm
Join us for a performance of Truman Capote’s short story “A Christmas Memory,” adapted by The Whale Theatre in association with the Tectonic Theater Project and directed by Matt Joslyn. Featuring Broadway veterans Marceline Hugot and Peter Frechette, the story follows two outsiders in a big
Alabama home in the 1930s: an 8-year-old Truman and his best friend and cousin, a quirky spinster in her 60s.
The Reign of Tutankhamun – Virtual Event
Monday, December 4, 7:00 pm
How much do we really know about the legendary King Tut? Join Professor Nozomu Kawai of Kanazawa University as he explores our current understanding of Tutankhamun and his time in history by utilizing new information and archaeological data. Although Tutankhamun has long been considered an unimportant king, new documentation proves just the opposite. This lecture is presented in collaboration with ARCE’s New York Chapter and National Headquarters.
After the Funeral by Tessa Hadley – Virtual Event
Thursday, December 7 at 12:00 pm
Tessa Hadley presents her new collection of twelve short stories, titled “After the Funeral and Other Stories.” Her work unearths the depths of everyday life to reveal the shifting tides and hidden consequences of ordinary relationships. Hadley has received numerous awards for her work, including a Windham Campbell Prize for Fiction and the Edge Hill Prize, and her stories and reviews appear regularly in The New Yorker, The Guardian, and the London Review of Books.
Les Arts Florissants: A chamber-Opera Ballet – Virtual Event
Thursday, December 7 at 6:00 pm
Join us for an exploration of “Les Arts Florissants,” an opera-ballet written in 1685 by Marc-Antoine Charpentier for Marie de Lorraine, Duchess of Guise. Hear from conductor James Richman, head of the Dallas Bach Society Chamber Orchestra, and director/choreographer Catherine Turocy, artistic director of The New York Baroque Dance Company. Using video excerpts of the production, they will share insights into their research and share anecdotes along the way.
The Art of Digital Manipulation – Virtual Event
Tuesday, December 12 at 6:00 pm
Listen in on a conversation between artist Jason Salavon and host and producer of “Art Sense” Craig Gould. Salavon runs the forward-thinking Salavon Lab at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is known for using software to manipulate and reconfigure media to create works of art. Together, he and Gould will explore the intricate connections between art, digital manipulation, and artificial intelligence, offering a retrospective and visionary outlook on the evolving landscape of art.
FashionSpeak Fridays: Food & Fashion
Friday, December 15 at 7:00 pm
Co-editors of Food & Fashion, Melissa Marra-Alvarez and Elizabeth Way, will explore the influence of food culture through the lens of fashion over the last 250 years. Based on their recent exhibition at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, they will examine how food themes and motifs are used to comment on topics from luxury, gender, and consumerism to sustainability, social activism, and body politics.
Holiday Songs from the Stoop
Monday, December 18 at 6:00 pm
Join the National Arts Club for our annual holiday concert. Your favorite songs and carols will be performed by the Principal Quintet of the Gramercy Brass Orchestra, an ensemble that has delighted audiences around the country and won numerous awards, including First Place at the North American Brass Band Competition. Enjoy the festive sounds of holiday brass amidst the seasonal finery of Gramercy Park.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS CLUB
Founded in 1898, the National Arts Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to stimulate, foster, and promote public interest in the arts and to educate the American people in the fine arts. Annually, the Club offers more than 150 free programs—both in-person and virtually—to the public, including exhibitions, theatrical and musical performances, lectures, and readings, attracting an audience of over 30,000 in-person visitors and thousands more online. The NAC is also a proud community partner, serving the public through fellowships, concert series, youth education programs, and more. For a full list of events or to learn more, please visit nationalartsclub.org.
