Museum Made

The Rise of America's Art Museums

Learn how American art museums - through timing, luck, and lots of money - became international leaders of the world's best art collections. Uncover how museums grew to become America's cultural guardians. 

(This pairs nicely with my BOOK!)

Great Homes of America

From the famous to the obscure, traditional to modern, American homes reflect the influential individuals who commissioned them. Take a virtual tour inside some of America's greatest historic house museums. 

Great Homes of Paris

Most visitors to Paris, France focus on its most well-known landmarks and attractions, the city's historic house museums offer an immersive perspective into the famed City of Light. From mansions to modernist apartments, from artists to architects, it's time to go beyond the Louvre and uncover these charming local institutions like never before.

Versailles - The Eternal Palace

The Palace of Versailles is the physical manifestation of King Louis XIV's 'absolute power.' See the palace of the Sun in a whole new light. This lecture explores why millions of visitors continue to be entranced and intrigued by the world's most influential palace as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  

Illusions in Art

The Confounding History of Trompe l’oeil

Artists have long employed illusions to create visual expressions that have allured viewers for centuries. Trompe l’oeil, French for 'deceive the eye’ continues to be an art technique that can mean many things. Be prepared to be tricked and enjoy uncovering the illusions! 

Ghoulish Delight 

Disney's Haunted Mansion

Disney’s Haunted Mansion is a theme park classic and design icon. This popular attraction continues to inspire and be enjoyed by millions of visitors every year. Learn about the development, architecture, and story behind this thrilling dark ride. 

Made in Miniature

Dollhouses, gingerbread, models, and miniatures can offer serious historical, architectural, and cultural insights. From fantastical playthings to forensic maquettes, scale down into the big little world of things made in miniature. 

Glorious Food

Feasting on Food Depicted in Art

Depictions of food in art and culture have long engaged and nourished people for millennia. From ancient Pompeian mosaics to Warhol’s Campbell’s famous Soup Cans, food found in art can be contemplative to surprising. 

The Brilliance of Wedgwood

Josiah Wedgwood was a master potter and entrepreneur. His keen understanding of Enlightened tastes and ability to produce goods in tune with fashionable trends solidified his contribution to British design. 

NEW - Visions of Men

Artistic Expressions of the Male Body

From Michangelo to Mapplethorpe, the male body has been expressed artistically for centuries. Exploring issues of masculinity, and sexuality, men in art have inspired and challenged viewers. Consider the male form in this dynamic lecture, for mature audiences. 

Martha Stewart

An American Legacy

Martha Stewart’s impact has become indelible upon American design and culture. The core foundation of understanding Martha’s legacy is her firm convictions behind her magazine and the products she and her company developed. Not a biography, this lecture explores the design principles that made Martha Stewart an American legacy. 

NEW - Great Homes of London

Beyond London’s noted royal residencies, there are exceptional historic houses that demonstrate various periods, classes, and technologies that exhibit the city’s fascinating history. From stately manors to curious town homes, these houses are distinctly British. 

NEW - Great Homes of Chicago

From a Gilded Age mansion clad in various rare types marble, to a hulky stone mansion with ghosts and connections to the development of modern forensics. Chicago has some great American homes that are worth discovering. 

NEW - How to "Read" a Museum

Have you ever visited an art museum and wondered did the art come from? Learning how to “read” a museum can allow you to not only impress your friends, but also have better experiences when you visit any museum in the future.

NEW - Here Comes the Queen

Marie Antoinette

France's most famous queen is having a resurgence in historical scrutiny and promenence. Devil queen or cultural icon? Marie Antionette continues to entrance auidences centuries after her death.

NEW - Under the Stars 

Grand Central Terminal

New York's Grand Central Terminal is an American landmark. More than just a transit hub, it is a living part of New York's history and American cutlure. Grand Central is the phyiscal embodiment of the combined democratic and capitalistic values the United States upholds.

NEW - Chicago: Built by Design

Chicago is a living encyclopedia of design and architecture. Technological advances have allowed it to consistently set the tone of innovation. Its neighborhoods have also formed its cultural and urban identity. The Windy City has proved to be a global example of design expertise.