Did you know Speed Art Museum has a book club? Among its many offerings, this appears to be a well-kept secret. The club was organized approximately four years ago by the museum’s former director of education Shannon Karol.
“The purpose of the book club is to give members of the museum and its guests an additional way to connect with art. If we can pair a piece with a book, it may not directly correlate. A specific artist may not be mentioned, but we try to make sure there is some correlation between the book and artwork,” said Speed Membership Coordinator La Avery.
An example of this is the book, "The Invisible Life of Addy LaRue." The group met to discuss the literary piece, then toured the museum’s 1700 gallery to examine what life would be like for the main character.
The Speed Reading Book Club gathers together bimonthly; it is part book discussion, and part art gallery tour. Copies of all Book Club books are available in the museum store. Plus, the Reading Book Club is free with museum admission (which is always free for members).
The schedule is as follows:
July 29, 2023 “Caul Baby’” by Morgan Jerkins
August 19, 2023 “White Light,” by Vanessa Garcia Virtual: contact LaShana Avery for the Zoom link, [email protected]
September 30, 2023 “Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbide,” by Isabel Quintero
November 18, 2023 "Horse:" A Novel by Geraldine Brooks
