Nordic Book Club Picnic
Thursday, July 16, 6:30 pm
“Beyond Sleep” by Willem Frederik Hermans
We will discuss the book during a picnic outside!
Book description: The young geologist, Alfred Issendorf, is determined to win fame for making a great discovery. To this end he joins a small geological expedition, which travels to the far north of Norway, where he hopes to prove a series of craters were caused by meteorites. Unable to procure crucial aerial photographs, and beset by mosquitoes and insomnia in his freezing leaky tent, Alfred becomes increasingly desperate and paranoid. Haunted by the ghost of his scientist father, unable to escape the looming influence of his mother, and anxious to complete the thesis that will make his name, he moves toward the final act of vanity which will trigger a catastrophe.
Event Chair: Tiia
Red Cross Blood Drive
Tuesday, September 1, 11:15 am–4:45 pm
Severe Blood Shortage, Donors Urgently Needed
Right now, eligible and healthy donors are strongly urged to make an appointment to provide lifesaving blood products to patients. Please sign up to give now.
To schedule your appointment visit
REDCROSSBLOOD.ORG
USE SPONSOR CODE: SCANDINAVIAN
Nordic Visions: The Evolution of Scandinavian Art
A lecture by Scott Verchin
Friday, October 2, 7 pm
Scandinavian art is widely considered an underrated and overlooked area of art history, particularly outside of the Nordic region. Modern art in Scandinavia reflects a distinctive balance between international innovation and deeply rooted regional identity.
In the 1800s, artists associated with various movements, such as Romantic Nationalism, sought to capture the distinctive landscapes, folklore, and cultural heritage of their respective countries. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Nordic artists engaged with emerging European movements such as Expressionism and Modernism, while developing highly personal approaches to subject matter and form.
A pivotal figure in this evolution was Edvard Munch, whose psychologically intense works helped define modern art beyond the region. The Skagen Painters, famous for introducing international art trends like Realism and French Impressionism to Scandinavia, were a close-knit group of regional artists who gathered during the late 1870s up to the turn of the twentieth century to react against the rigid academic traditions.
In more recent history, modern and contemporary Scandinavian artists such as Hilma af Klint, Helene Schjerfbeck, Asger Jorn, and Olafur Eliasson have gained tremendous recognition to put the region on the international art map.
Scott Verchin is an independent business consultant based in Fairfield, specializing in the media, visual arts, and museum sectors. Over the course of his career, he has held several distinguished roles, including Publisher of MUSEUMS and ARCHAEOLOGY magazines. He has also contributed to Art Market Magazine, where he covered major art exhibitions throughout the United States.
In recent years, Scott has presented a series of lectures on the history of art for local organizations across Fairfield County and Connecticut, including the Bigelow Center, the Fairfield Woods Public Library, and the University of Connecticut. A lifelong patron of the arts, he has visited museums and galleries across five continents.
In 1989, he curated and hosted his first exhibition, BLACK & WHITE PAINTINGS, on Long Island.
