The TMA Masters Series consists of public programs featuring world-renowned artists, scholars, musicians and others who are invited to share their knowledge and talents at the Museum. Held in the grand Peristyle Theater, the lectures and performances are oftentimes free of charge.
About the Peristyle
A classical concert hall whose name means “an area surrounded by columns,” the Peristyle’s most distinguishing architectural feature is a curving row of 28 Ionic columns which surround the main seating area, arranged in tiers reminiscent of theaters of ancient Greece. Designed by architect Edward B. Green, the 1,750-seat Peristyle was built as part of the Museum’s 1933 major expansion.
Masters Series Events
John Clarke: Vesuvius and the Villa: New Discoveries in Pompeii
One of the world’s top scholars on ancient Pompeii, John Clarke of the University of Texas at Austin, discusses findings of a major study of a huge luxury villa that dates 50 BC–AD 79.
April 12, 2012
Jay Shafer: Tumbleweed and the Tiny House Movement
The founder of the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company—a component of TMA’s Small Worlds exhibition—and a recognized leader in the small living movement, Jay Shafer discusses the growing movement toward living smaller and simpler. Co-sponsored by the TMA Ambassadors.
March 8, 2012
Concert: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue: For True
Fresh off appearances on Conan O’Brien, David Letterman, and the prestigious Montreux, Newport and Playboy Jazz Festivals, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue are the hottest act in contemporary jazz. Co-sponsored by the Art Tatum Jazz Heritage Society.
October 25, 2011
Pieter Biesboer: Frans Hals’ Van Campen Family Portrait in a Landscape
The Emeritus Curator of Paintings at the Frans Hals Museum (Haarlem, the Netherlands) sheds light on the history and importance of this new acquisition by the Toledo Museum of Art. Co-sponsored by the TMA Ambassadors and the Mellon Foundation.
October 13, 2011
International Museum Day Presentation: Museums and Memory
Directors from three major Midwest museums—Brian Kennedy (TMA), Graham Beal (Detroit Institute of Art), and David Franklin (Cleveland Museum of Art)—discuss the state of these grand “temples of art.” Moderated by art journalist and blogger Judith Dobrzynski.
May 18, 2011
An Evening with Frank Stella
Artist Frank Stella and TMA Director Brian Kennedy reunite for a discussion of the exhibition Irregular Polygons (April 8–July 24, 2011). Moderated by Tyler Green of Modern Art Notes. Co-sponsored by the TMA Ambassadors.