Merlin

Maurice Merlin and the American Scene, 1930–1947

Jan. 19–April 15, 2013

Maurice Merlin studied at the Art Institute of Chicago from 1929 to 1931 addressing the social tensions that faced the city and the nation during the 1930s with images of strikes, unemployed workers, and Detroit’s African American community. This exhibition includes work of fellow Detroit-based artists with paintings, posters, and watercolors on loan from collections in Los Angeles and Detroit, and is the first museum exhibition devoted primarily to Merlin’s career.

Preschool Series: One Hundred Years Ago...

Feb. 6, 13, 20 and 27 (Wednesdays)

10 a.m.–noon

Happy 100th birthday, San Marino! Join the centennial celebration as we explore what life was like growing up a century ago. Led by instructor Laura Moede, each class will feature art projects, stories, and more. Fee includes one accompanying adult. Ages 3–4. Members: $85. Non-Members: $95. Registration: 626-405-2128.

Maritime

Britain and the Sea: Maritime Drawings and Watercolors from The Huntington’s Art Collections

This focused exhibition features fifteen rarely seen drawings and watercolors by marine artists such as John Thomas Serres, Charles Bentley, and Samuel Owen, depicting important battles and dramatic, romantic views of wind-tossed ships revealing a nation passing from the threat of war to command a prosperous peace.

Distinguished Fellow Lecture - Providence vs. Prudence: Religion and Law in 17th-Century England

Feb. 6 (Wednesday)

7:30 p.m.  Free

Lawyers and clergymen constituted the most dynamic professions in post-Reformation England. Christopher Brooks, professor of history at Durham University and the Fletcher Jones Foundation Distinguished Fellow, considers their interactions and ideas in an age of “revolutionary” political and confessional conflict. Free. No reservations required. Friends’ Hall.

Curator Tour: “Maurice Merlin and the American Scene”

Feb. 6 (Wednesday)

4:30–5:30 p.m.

Join curator James Glisson for a private tour of the exhibition “Maurice Merlin and the American Scene, 1930–1947,” focusing on the work of the Detroit artist and his contemporaries. Like many other artists during the Great Depression, Merlin found employment with the government’s Works Progress Administration (WPA), and his art reflects the social tensions of the period. Members: $15. Non-Members: $20. Registration: 626-405-2128.

Vance-Swallow

Lesley Vance & Ricky Swallow

Nov. 10, 2012-March 11, 2013

In a dramatic departure from tradition, The Huntington presents the first exhibition of contemporary paintings and sculpture to be displayed inside the Huntington Art Gallery, showcasing the work of Los Angeles–based artists Lesley Vance and Ricky Swallow.