Presented by Montclair Art Museum in partnership with Watchung Booksellers, this three-part book talk series explores the power of art in times of war, loss, and transformation. From the streets of Nazi-occupied Paris to the galleries of the world’s great museums, each conversation will reveal how artists, curators, and everyday people work to preserve culture and make meaning during moments of upheaval.
Book talk with author Thomas Schlesser on September 25 at 7 p.m., followed by book signing.
Before Mona goes blind, she and her grandfather make a pact: they will spend each Wednesday visiting one work of art—52 artworks in 52 weeks—and commit each one to memory. This #1 international bestseller, now launching in English, offers a deeply human story about loss, beauty, and what’s worth remembering.
Presented in conjunction with the Montclair Campus of L’Alliance–New York. MAM members and Alliance members are invited to a private wine tasting and reception with author Thomas Schlesser at 6 p.m.
Book talk with author Michelle Young, in conversation with Joe Pompeo, on September 28 at 3 p.m., followed by book signing.
In Nazi-occupied Paris, a museum curator secretly documented the systematic theft of priceless artworks—passing her notes to the Resistance and helping track down looted masterpieces after the war. Based on newly uncovered archives, this true story reveals the quiet courage of a woman who risked everything to protect the world’s cultural heritage.
Book talk with author Christopher C. Gorham, on October 14 at 7 p.m., followed by book signing.
While others fled, Henri Matisse remained in France during the Nazi occupation. This new biography draws from letters and private documents to reveal how Matisse and his family resisted quietly, even as danger grew around them. In the midst of wartime fear and censorship, he produced some of the most radical work of his career.
