Seeing Red: DIA and Ferndale Library Present 'The Power of Color in Art'

Color can affect moods, shift a space and convey timeless and unspoken messages.

At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4, the Ferndale Public Library will host “Seeing Red: The Power of Color in Art” presented by the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Wendy Evans, a teacher of Art History at the College for Creative Studies, Wayne State University and the DIA, will feature works throughout history (from the DIA art collection) to illustrate the impact of color upon art.

Learning the language of color is like learning a more nuanced way of seeing. Looking at DIA art from different times and different places, we’ll explore the varied ways artists employ color – be it snaring attention or stirring deep emotions, conveying various symbolic meanings to draw your eyes around the canvas, or just for sheer delight.

Born in England and educated at Oxford, Speaker Wendy Evans was recently named Volunteer of the Year by the DIA’s Speakers Bureau. She presents other art talks in institutions throughout the area, including “Reawakening Renaissance Art,” and, “Whistler and his Followers.”

“This presentation promises to offer a fascinating view into the minds of artists and the diverse ways they think about color,” Todd Abrams of the Ferndale Library Arts and Exhibition Committee said in a press release. “We are thrilled to bring the assets of a world class museum like the DIA into our neighborhood.”

This event is free to the public and is the second arts lecture to be presented at the library. Seeing Red is made possible by the Ferndale Public Library Arts and Exhibitions Committee, dedicated to fostering art appreciation within the library setting, and to support Ferndale’s artistic community.

Source: Ferndale Public Library press release.