Lectures

Join us online and in person for lectures from artists, experts, and other compelling voices on wide-ranging topics.

Upcoming Courses

Upcoming Lectures

Lecture

John Wilson and Boston’s Black Arts Community

Wednesday, February 26, 2025
1:00 pm–2:30 pm
In Person
Looking Together

Welcome Spring with Indian Flower Paintings

Monday, March 3–Monday, March 10, 2025
2:30 pm–4:00 pm

Occurring every Monday

In Person
Looking Together

Islamic Manuscripts and Book Arts

Wednesday, March 5–Wednesday, March 26, 2025
10:30 am–12:00 pm

Occurring every Thursday

In Person
Lecture

Loïs Mailou Jones’s Mastery of the “Black Atlantic”

Wednesday, March 5, 2025
1:00 pm–2:30 pm
In Person
Lecture

Robert Frank: Mary’s Book

Wednesday, March 5, 2025
6:30 pm–7:30 pm
Online
Looking Together

The Salon des Refusés: Before and After

Thursday, March 6–Thursday, March 27, 2025
1:00 pm–2:30 pm

Occurring every Thursday 

In Person
Lecture

Allan Rohan Crite: Griot of Boston

Wednesday, March 12, 2025
1:00 pm–2:30 pm
In Person
Looking Together

Storytelling in Western Art

Thursday, March 13–Thursday, April 3, 2025
10:30 am–12:00 pm

Occurring every Thursday

In Person
The Ruth and Carl J. Shapiro Celebrity Lectures

Amy Sedaris: At Home

Thursday, March 13, 2025
7:00 pm–8:00 pm
In Person
Lecture

John Wilson: A Special Way of Looking at the World

Wednesday, March 19, 2025
1:00 pm–2:30 pm
In Person
Looking Together

Essence of Asia: An Introduction

Wednesday, March 19–Wednesday, April 9, 2025
1:00 pm–2:30 pm

Occurring every Wednesday

In Person
Looking Together

Powerful Messages Hidden in Plain Sight

Friday, March 21–Friday, March 28, 2025
10:30 am–12:00 pm

Occurring every Friday 

In Person
Lecture

Van Gogh in Provence

Wednesday, April 2, 2025
1:00 pm–2:30 pm
In Person
Esther Steinberg Memorial Lecture

Living: A House, A Garden, An Aquarium, and More

Thursday, April 3, 2025
7:00 pm–8:00 pm
In Person
Lecture

The Influence of Historical Dutch Art on Van Gogh

Wednesday, April 9, 2025
1:00 pm–2:30 pm
Lecture

Between Rembrandt and Van Gogh: 19th-Century Dutch Artists

Wednesday, April 16, 2025
1:00 pm–2:30 pm
In Person
Lecture

Van Gogh, the Roulin Family, and Portraiture

Wednesday, April 30, 2025
1:00 pm–2:30 pm
In Person
Lecture

Van Gogh: The Roulin Family Portraits

Wednesday, April 30, 2025
6:30 pm–7:30 pm
Online
Lecture

Up Close and Personal with the MFA’s Van Gogh Portraits

Wednesday, May 7, 2025
1:00 pm–2:30 pm
In Person
The Ruth and Carl J. Shapiro Celebrity Lectures

Jamaica Kincaid: Putting Myself Together

Thursday, May 8, 2025
7:00 pm–8:00 pm
In Person
Lecture

Music at the Intersection of the Arts in 19th-Century France

Wednesday, May 14, 2025
1:00 pm–2:30 pm
In Person
Lecture

A Bounty for the Senses: The Flavors, Tastes, and Scents of Provence

Wednesday, May 21, 2025
1:00 pm–2:30 pm
In Person
Lecture

Van Gogh and The “Mad Genius” Debate

Wednesday, May 28, 2025
1:00 pm–2:30 pm
In Person
Lecture

John Wilson

Wednesday, May 28, 2025
6:30 pm–7:30 pm
Online
Lecture

“How did he make those colors?”

Wednesday, June 4, 2025
1:00 pm–2:30 pm
In Person