ABOUT THE CLYDE BURROUGHS LECTURE SERIES

The Burroughs Lecture Series brings together artists and art historians at the Scarab Club for engaging discussions on American art from the 19th and 20th centuries. Past speakers include renowned talents such as Michele Oka Doner, Michael Hodges, and Barbara Haskell. Each lecture offers a unique insight into American art's rich history and diverse perspectives. The evening includes an intimate cocktail reception followed by a festive dinner with the guest speaker in the Scarab's historic Lounge.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

September 25, 2024, 6-9 PM
Ron Staley: Michigan Central Station

Ron Staley is a 40-year veteran of planning and delivering many complex and high profile historic preservation projects as construction manager. As Executive Director of The Christman Company’s historic preservation group, his project leadership and expertise has led the group to national prominence with many award-winning projects providing construction services for national historic landmarks across the U.S. and foreign countries. He’s been honored to work on preserving the state Capitols in Michigan, Virginia, Maryland, and Colorado plus multiple projects at the U.S. Capitol. Along with projects in Cuba, Morrocco, Slovakia and Poland, Ron enjoys preserving art and architecture of the past.

He is currently lending his historic preservation expertise on Ford Motor Company’s rehabilitation of Michigan Central Station, one of Detroit’s most iconic historic buildings, where the historic monumental train station’s Beaux-Arts stonework and Guastavino tile vaults make the Station one of the most challenging projects in the country to have been restored.

With degrees in Business Administration/Industrial Management and Civil Engineering Technology from Michigan Technological University, Ron is a frequent lecturer, professor and peer reviewed author, His many professional leadership affiliations include the Association for Preservation Technology International, US/ICOMOS, and Michigan Historic Preservation Network. He also serves on industry advisory boards for Michigan Technological University’s College of Business, Engineering and Supply Chain Management, and Construction Management degree programs. Ron is a multi-term appointee by the Governor to the Michigan State Historic Preservation Review Board.

Ron was honored as a Fellow in the Association for Preservation Technology International, an Honorary Affiliate of the Michigan Chapter American Institute of Architects, Businessperson of the Year by Wayne State University, and inducted into the MTU Academy of Business.

November 13, 2024, 6-9 PM
Valerie Leeds: Julius Stewart Exhibiting in America

March 5, 2025, 6-9 PM
Michael Crane: Bookends - Exploring Fine Art Collecting at the Detroit Athletic Club

The Detroit Athletic Club (DAC) can trace its roots back to 1887 when a group of young men under the spell of amateur athletics formed the DAC. The original clubhouse was located not far from the Scarab Club, on Woodward between Canfield and Forest, and was noted for its expansive athletic fields. As time passed, the need for a new Clubhouse became essential and the DAC answered in grand style with their 1915 Albert Kahn designed Clubhouse. The new and elegant Clubhouse was deserving of fine art and many of the members supported the desire to begin building a permanent collection. The DAC thus far has had four major periods of collecting and appreciation; the first period spanned between 1915 to the Great Depression, the second period started after World War II, the third period from 1998—2002, and the current period dates from 2015 to the present. As the title suggests, this talk will discuss the bookends—the first and fourth periods.

As a bonus, the first 25 Scarab Club members to sign up for this event will be invited to the DAC on March 16th for a special in-person tour of the art collection. Details to follow the event.

April 9, 2025, 6-9 PM
MaryAnn Wilkinson & Becca Goodman: Conserving Sepeshy

A major painting by Zoltan Sepeshy, The Chief Pueblo (1926) is the focus of this in-depth talk. Sepeshy (1898-1974) was renowned during his lifetime for his beautifully structured and crafted paintings; he taught at Cranbrook Academy of Art for nearly his entire career. This painting, recently conserved by Becca Goodman, paintings conservator and principal of the firm Goodman Lafon, was a Gold Medal winner at the Scarab Club and is one of the Club’s most important paintings. Goodman will discuss the artist’s technique and methods, as well as the conservation treatment. She will be joined by art historian and curator MaryAnn Wilkinson, who will put the artist and his work into context.

June 4, 2025, 6-9 PM
Marc Morisseau: Animating Avatar - Animation: And the Artist Explorer of Entertainment

A look at modern animation techniques and challenges for creating animation solutions in a collaborative, interactive media. We'll look at how animation is changing within the entertainment industry and what it means for Artists in the space. We will comb through real-life experiences on notable projects such as Resident Evil, Battlefield, Call of Duty, Marvel films, James Cameron's Avatar sequel films, and more!

About our Speaker:

An accomplished Motion Capture Director with a distinguished career in the entertainment industry, specializing in cutting-edge motion capture techniques for major films and video games. Recognized for my leadership in pioneering animation processes, Marc has contributed to some of the most iconic projects in both film and gaming. He has expertise in cinematic direction, motion capture data management, and virtual production, which has placed him at the forefront of modern storytelling in the digital realm.

WHAT TO EXPECT

6:00 - 6:45 PM - Doors open and cocktails in the Gallery/Garden
7:00 - 7:45 PM - Dinner in the Lounge
8:00 - 8:45 PM - Lecture in the Gallery

TICKETS

Dinner & Lecture:
$65/member
$75/non-member

Lecture Only: (begins at 8pm)
$25/member
$35/non-member
$15/student with ID

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Sponsor one lecture: $1,250
Includes one complimentary ticket and acknowledgment in digital & printed materials.
Patron Sponsor: $5,000
Includes two complimentary tickets to each lecture and acknowledgment in all digital & printed materials.
Student Sponsorship: $500
Help sponsor students at a discounted ticket price. Acknowledgment will be included in digital materials and the lecture will be publicized across local colleges and universities.

For more information contact: Kathryn Dimond, kdimond@scarabclub.org

The Clyde Burroughs Lecture Series