American Art Appreciation Month Symposium
Ralph Albert Blakelock: The Brilliant and the Tragic
Join us for a virtual symposium on August 20 at 6 PM with Nina Sangimino. This symposium is free and open to the public with RSVP.
ABOUT THE SYMPOSIUM:
Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847-1919) was a trailblazing American artist in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, yet tragedy overshadowed his life. Severe mental illness and a predatory con artist left his family in complete poverty despite the fact that in 1916 one of his paintings set the record as the most expensive work by a living American artist. This talk will cover the life and oeuvre of Ralph Albert Blakelock, showing his brilliant rise and tragic fall, and his enduring legacy in the history of American art.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Nina Sangimino is Curator at the Long Island Museum. Her upcoming exhibition, Enduring Heart: Native American Long Island, will be on view in the LIM’s Art Museum July 16 through December 20, 2026. She was co-curator of the LIM's groundbreaking SOMOS/WE ARE: Latinx Artists of Long Island (2023), and previously guest-curated Two Centuries of Long Island Women Artists: 1800–2000 (2022). Nina spent over a decade at Questroyal Fine Art in New York City where she was Assistant Director and worked on numerous exhibitions and catalogs, including Ralph Albert Blakelock: The Great Mad Genius Returns (2016). She studied art history at the University at Albany and earned a master's degree in the same field from Pratt Institute. She has previously worked at the Putnam History Museum and Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum.
SYMPOSIUM SPONSORS:
Centennial Park Conservancy
ADDITIONAL SPONSORS:
The Parthenon, part of Metro Parks & Recreation, would like to thank the following organizations that provide underwriting support for its exhibition and educational programming, including Symposia, through grants and corporate partnerships with Centennial Park Conservancy:
Archaeological Institute of America- Nashville Society, Amazon, the Sandra Schatten Foundation, HCA Healthcare Foundation, Tennessee Arts Commission, Hays Foundation, and Advance Financial Foundation
Individuals can support the Parthenon by making a donation or becoming a member of Centennial Park Conservancy. Learn more.
NEXT SYMPOSIA:
Check back soon!