REACH Speakers Bureau

In the 1690's, the people of Salem, Massachusetts and the neighboring countryside became obsessed with the belief that the devil was turning good citizens into witches. A widow named Susannah Martin stood trial. Learn of her fate, her defiance against her accusers and her surprising connection to this program's presenter.

In October, 1851, the propellor ship, Henry Clay, was struck by a fierce gale after departing Cleveland. An eye witness gave the chilling account of the ship as it lost its struggle with the storm. The great, great, great grandfather of this program's presenter was the First Engineer aboard the Henry Clay that fateful night. His fate and that of his crewmates will be told, as well as how a coin given to his young daughter would pass down generations in remembrance.

A land of God Kings, richly endowed tombs and beautiful temples is the focus of this presentation. The stories of The Great Pyramids and the discovery of King Tut's Tomb will thrill you. Through the sands of time of 3000 years, the Egyptian Empire lasted longer than any ancient society.

The life and art of Italian genius Leonardo da Vinci is the subject of this lecture. The Last Supper, the Virgin of the Rocks and the Mona Lisa were such innovative and revolutionary works of art that they influenced generations of artists to follow. Leonardo also was a geologist, botanist, anatomist and military engineer.

This class will cover the protestant secularism that created a new realistic art in Holland, of which Rembrandt is the most famous practitioner. Portraiture, landscape, still life and genre scenes all become important new art forms.

The Impressionists forged a new way of painting and looking at the natural world. They challenged historical conventions that stood for centuries and created a new vision based on direct observation, bold brush strokes, high keyed color and a keen awareness of the science of perception. The art of Manet, Monet, Degas and Renoir are featured.

Michelangelo created an epic masterpiece for the ages when he painted the Sistine ceiling. His story of torment and exaltation in the painting of this spectacular work of art is the subject of this presentation.

The life of the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh has been the subject of countless biographies and films. His highly expressive art reveals the joy that painting held for him, but also the mental torment that tortured him for the last two years of his incredibly productive life. This lecture will cover every stage of his artistic development and the life of this troubled genius.

Have you ever taken a class on art forgeries and art thefts? Here's your chance! We will discuss everything from the famous art forger Han Van Meegeren, the theft of the Mona Lisa and the still unsolved art thefts from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.

The Cleveland Museum of Art is one of the finest museums of art in the nation as well as the world. Cleveland has one of the greatest collections of eastern art and their medieval holdings are admired the world over. This program will look at their most prominent works.

Throughout history, great women artists have produced, often behind the scenes, wonderful and important masterpieces. This lecture will cover some of the greatest female artists in history from Judith Leyster to Judy Chicago.

Is photography an art form? This lecture answers that question in the affirmative. Since its infancy, photographs have captured our world like no other artistic medium. It has been used to document historic events, to express humanitarian views and to create new original art forms. From daguerreotypes to digital and from Mathew Brady to Ansel Adams, this lecture focuses on all of it.

"Love is a Many Splendored Thing" when "Love is All Around" and "Love" is all around in art. It always has been. From the earliest Neolithic fertility images to Rodin's "The Kiss", love, in all forms, is a constant theme in the visual arts. Let's explore the sensual side of art together in this lecture of "love art" through the ages.

The Annunciation, The Visitation, The Nativity, The Adoration of the Shepherds, The Epiphany and The Flight into Egypt. These iconographic Christian themes are studied in a lecture that explores the efforts of some of the greatest masters in art history. Raphael, Leonardo Da Vinci, Giotto, Robert Campin, Jan van Eyck and others tell the story of Christmas in a Seasons Greetings lecture.

A review of Free Will; what we think it is versus what it really is. Did Adam and Eve steal it from God, creating the original sin? Were they tricked by the serpent? Or did God give it to humanity willingly? If so, why?

We tend to think of St. Patrick converting the Celts to Christianity. While true, recent archaeological evidence suggests that was towards the end of a Celtic Empire that dominated much of Northern Europe even before Ancient Rome rose to power. A grand tour of pre-historic Europe!

The Dead Sea's history is fascinating, dating back to at least Biblical times. Today it is much more than just a tourist attraction, it is a border between two nations, and sometimes hotly debated. It has supplied much of Israel's exports, providing minerals for health and beauty, pharmaceutical ingredients and even industrial production around the world. History shows us wars were fought for control of the Dead Sea, and given recent irrigation needs, its future is uncertain.

For over 300 years the residents of Cheshire, England, were baffled by the seemingly random appearance of sinkholes; swallowing roads, railroad bridges, even whole buildings or homes. What was causing this? The clergy blamed the devil, townsfolk blamed the mining company, yet the shafts didn't seem to correspond to the sinkholes. We'll "uncover" the mystery.

Of all his accomplishments, Thomas Jefferson was most proud of self-governance, freedom of religion and education. He wanted a solid philosophy to guide both the people of his fledgling nation and their elected representatives. Jefferson literally took a razor blade to several copies of the Bible, cutting and pasting the teachings of Jesus onto blank pages. The result is "The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth." We will explore his life and times, what he put in and left out and why.

He was only 17 years old when he left with his father and uncle to the Court of Kublai Kahn. 25 years later he returned with stories that his contemporaries (and some historians) found suspicious. While it is somewhat difficult to get a historically accurate account of what happened, the kid had to be somewhere for 25 years. We'll try to find the truth of it.