The Denison University art department and Vail Visiting Artist Series will sponsor a series of three speakers -- all on the faculty of the Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD) -- during the third week in February, giving evening public lectures on the topic of "Connections to Place in Contemporary Painting." All lectures will take place at 7 p.m. in the Cleveland Art Annex, Room 104, (201 N. Mulberry St.) and are free and open to the public.

Julie Taggart, associate professor and dean of fine arts at the Columbus College of Art and Design, will present the first lecture on Urban Realist Landscape Paintings on Monday, Feb. 13. Her work has been included in more than 65 group exhibitions, both on the national and international levels. In 1999 Taggart's work was showcased in an exhibition, "A Sense of Space," along with Diane Finch and Tobin Sprout at the Denison Art Gallery. She has been awarded Best of Show from the Cooperstown Art Association Galleries, Best Exhibits 1996 by the Columbus Dispatch, and was the 2004 recipient of the Ohio Arts Council Award. Taggart holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from the Columbus College of Art and Design and a master of fine arts from Syracuse University.

John Kortlander, associate professor of fine arts at the Columbus College of Art and Design, will speak on Intuitive Abstract Paintings on Wednesday, Feb. 15. His work has been exhibited in more than 50 juried, invitational, and gallery exhibits. Before joining the CCAD faculty, Kortlander taught at the Mercersburg Academy, where he received the Johnson Foundation Teacher of the Year Award and the Skidmore College Fellowship for outstanding artists/teachers. He also was the subject of The Documentary Gallery, produced for PBS. Kortlander received a bachelor of fine arts degree from Ohio University and a master of fine arts in painting from the University of Colorado.

Gordon Lee's lecture on Images/Impressions of Hong Kong will conclude the series on Thursday, Feb. 16. Lee is also a professor of fine arts at the Columbus College of Art and Design. He has exhibited extensively around the world, participating in solo and group shows in Canada, the U.S., Taiwan, Germany, and China. Before returning to CCAD in 1987 (having taught there in 1981-82), he was a lecturer at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Lee earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in studio art from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, and a master of fine arts in painting from the Cranbrook Academy of Art. In 2002, he was awarded an individual artists fellowship by the Greater Columbus Arts Council.

CALENDAR INFORMATION: Denison University,The Denison art department and Vail Visiting Artists Series will sponsor a series of speakers with lectures on the topic of "Connections to Place in Contemporary Painting." Julie Taggart will present the first lecture on Urban Realist Landscape Paintings; 7 p.m., Monday (Feb. 13) in the Cleveland Art Annex, Room 104 (201 N. Mulberry St.). Free and open to the public. For more information, please call (740) 587-6596.

CALENDAR INFORMATION: Denison University,The Denison art department and Vail Visiting Artists Series will sponsor a series of speakers with lectures on the topic of "Connections to Place in Contemporary Painting." John Kortlander will present a lecture on Intuitive Abstract Paintings; 7 p.m., Wednesday (Feb. 15) in the Cleveland Art Annex, Room 104 (201 N. Mulberry St.). Free and open to the public. For more information, please call (740) 587-6596.

CALENDAR INFORMATION: Denison University,The Denison art department and Vail Visiting Artists Series will sponsor a series of speakers with lectures on the topic of "Connections to Place in Contemporary Painting." Gordon Lee will present a lecture on Images/Impressions of Hong Kong; 7 p.m., Thursday (Feb. 16) in the Cleveland Art Annex, Room 104 (201 N. Mulberry St.). Free and open to the public. For more information, please call (740) 587-6596.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575