Chinese, Korean, and Japanese artists have been painting pictures of birds for more than 1000 years. With an estimated 50 billion birds flying around us all the time, this comes as little surprise. Birders, who partake in one of the globe’s fastest-growing, multi-generational pastimes, know our feathered friends offer endless variety and incredible beauty. During this Joy Light Lecture in East Asian Art, Dr. Robert Mintz will guide our exploration of East Asian “bird and flower painting” through the joy of “artistic bird-watching.” 

Kalamazoo Art League is delighted to sponsor this year’s Joy Light Lecture in East Asian Art and will provide a reception before the presentation, starting at 5:30 pm. 

Dr. Mintz is the Chief Curatorial Director of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. A specialist in 18th-century Japanese painting, he oversees the art research and exhibitions program and guides the growth, preservation, and presentation of the museum’s Asian and Asian American art collections.