{image1}Through use of bold colors and distortion, German expressionists changed the course of modernism with their radical methods which revealed their emotional and psychological reactions to their subjects.
The Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Dr., features works by the German Expressionists in "Defiance Despair Desire: German Expressionist Prints." The museum will also host a German film series in conjunction with the feature exhibition
Friedrich Wilhelm Murnauís 1922 classic "Nosferatu" will be shown on January 22. Based on the story of Dracula, "Nosferatu" was filmed in the mountains and castles of Bavaria and is sometimes described as the definitive vampire movie.
After the movie there will be a follow-up discussion led by Dr. Patrice Petro, director of the Center for International Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Petro is also the author of several books and essays on German cinema and Expressionism.
The second film, on February 19, is one of Fritz Langís first critical successes, "Destiny," a 1921 allegory of confrontation between death and a girls love and devotion. Milwaukee's Patrick McGilligan, one of Americaís leading film historians, and art critic James Auer will lead discussions after the film.
Both films screen in the MAMís Lubar Auditorium at 7 p.m.. Pianist David Drazin will play movie scores on both nights.
General admission allows entry to both programs as well as admittance to the museum's feature exhibition. General admission is free for MAM members, $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, $4 for students and it is free for children 12 and under.
Also opening in January are:
Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum, 2220 N. Terrace Ave., provides an appropriate setting for "Dedi Knox: Reflections of Italy," which opens January 18 with a 1 p.m. reception. The show features Knoxís watercolors of Tuscan villages and landscapes, still lifes and some figurative works. Admission is $5, $3 for students and seniors. Call (414) 271-3656.
"Marc Chagall: The Bible Series" at Haggerty Museum of Art at Marquette University, includes 105 hand-colored etchings from the museumís permanent collection. Many of the works will be familiar to regular Haggerty visitors, but the new exhibit will share them with a wider audience. The show opens January 22 with a 6 p.m. lecture by art historian Bella Meyer, who is also Chagallís granddaughter, and a 7 p.m. reception. Call (414) 288-1669. Admission is free.
