Artist Harold Cohen will begin the 2010-2011 Crossroads Lecture Series
Updated Sept. 3 at 10:45 p.m.
The Orcas Crossroads Lecture Series announces its 2010-11 season of lecture events. Now in its fourth season, Crossroads offers diverse topics, of local and global relevance, explored by expert speakers of some renown. All lectures will be held at Orcas Center and followed by a question and answer period and a public reception with the speaker.
The series begins with acclaimed visual artist Harold Cohen, exploring the topic Computers, Cognition and Creativity in the Visual Arts on Sunday, September 26 at 2 p.m. Cohen has developed a computer program, named Aaron, to create art.
Artwork by Aaron, a computer program developed by Harold Cohen
The second fall lecture is by Louis E. Wolcher, on Sunday, October 10 at 2 p.m. Author and Professor of Law at the University of Washington, Wolcher’s topic is The Meaning of Justice in the World Today.
A nationally recognized authority on ecosystem management, Gloria Flora will speak on the topic From Depletion to Sustainability on Friday, November 19, at 7:30 p.m.
The season continues in March with Ned Brines, former investment banker and one of the country’s top fund managers, speaking on the topic The Economy: How Are We Going to Get Out of This Mess? This lecture will be held on Friday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Renowned author, broadcaster, journalist and traveler Simon Winchester presents The Man Who Loved China on Sunday, April 3 at 2 p.m.
David Kennedy, Emeritus Professor of History at Stanford University, will lecture on Sunday, May 1 at 2 p.m. His topic is The Tale of Three Cities: How the U.S. Won WWII and Created the World We Have Lived in Ever After.
Afghanistan: Understanding the Relationship between Aid and Security is the final lecture topic of the season, presented by Andrew Wilder on Sunday, May 22 at 2 p.m. Wilder is the Research Director of the Feinstein International Center at Tufts University.
Season tickets are now available for $50 at the Orcas Island Library, Darvill’s Bookstore and online at orcascrossroads.org. Season tickets include all seven lecture events. Individual tickets for the Fall lectures are also available now, for $10, at the Library or Darvill’s Bookstore.
The Crossroads Lecture Series is supported by the Crossroads Associates Circle, the Friends of the Orcas Island Library in cooperation with the Orcas Island Public Library, the Daniel and Margaret Carper Foundation, the Orcas Center and individual contributors. It is also supported in part by a grant from Humanities Washington, a statewide organization dedicated to providing and supporting cultural education programs in local communities.
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The caption “Art by Harold Cohen” is not totally correct: the image is a painting wholly done by the computer program, Aaron, written by Cohen. Aaron is autonomous. From blank canvas to finished painting Aaron makes all the decisions about what to do, and each painting is unique. Cohen will be talking about the extent to which a computer program, like Aaron, can be said to be creative.