Exhibition Lecture and Reception: Ida Sinkevic, Windows to Heaven

 Prof. Sinkević, Department of Art, will talk about icons in the Williams Center exhibition, Windows to Heaven: Treasures from the Museum of Russian Icons

Icons of the Eastern Orthodox Christian church are sacred objects used both in church rituals and in individual worship. The human form portrayed in an abstract manner is intended to accentuate the spirituality and sacred character of the holy figures depicted. Intended to enable transcendence from the terrestrial into the heavenly sphere, the icons serve as instruments of devotion by evoking the presence of the holy for the faithful. These icons—a collection from Eastern Europe dating from the 16th century to the present—are also aesthetically pleasing objects, intricate in design and superior in execution.

The talk will be followed by a concert in the Williams Center lobby by the Lafayette Chamber Singers with the Zingaresca Duo in a performance of Hvalite imia Ghospodne (no.1) by Aleksandr Arkhangelsky.

The afternoon will conclude with a Russian Tea reception. 

Zingaresca Duo consists of Dr. Oleg Timofeyev, the pioneer in the revival of the Russian seven-string guitar, and the celebrated Russian-Roma (Gypsy) virtuoso Vadim Kolpakov. The Italian word “Zingaresca” means “in a Gypsy style:” the ensemble interweaves the written Russian guitar heritage with the best traditions of the Russian Gypsies, thus blending the sophistication of classical music with the fiery vitality of folk musical expression. 

The Zingaresca Duo residency is supported by a generous grant from the R.K. Laros Foundation, established by M. Russel K. (LC 1914) and Mrs. Helen K. Laros to support community non-profit organizations serving the arts, education, the environment, health, historical preservation and public and human services. 
                    

The exhibition and related programs are also supported by the departments of Art, History, Religion, Russian and East European Studies, and the Lafayette Art Galleries. The Lafayette Art Galleries and EPI receive state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency