Hidden Treasures of Chagall in Washington D.C.

Representing the culmination of nearly a year of research by more than 20 GW students and alumni, this symposium celebrates the launch of an online exhibition dedicated to the print works of Marc Chagall in the GW Collection. Although his achievements as an etcher are often eclipsed by his renowned paintings, stained glass, and monumental commissions, graphic art lies at the heart of his artistic practice. This online exhibition brings together 27 etchings from the GW Collection, 14 of which are from Nikolai Gogol’s Dead Souls, and a unique silk scarf held by the George Washington University Museum The Textile Museum.

Beyond the works in the GW Collection, Washington is home to numerous Chagall works that remain largely "hidden"—either because they are not on public view, are difficult to access, or have received little scholarly attention. Prints, drawings, pastels, and watercolors, for example, are inherently fragile and therefore exhibited infrequently. Other works, such as the silk scarf in the Textile Museum and the exceptional bon à tirer impressions in the GW Collection, remain little known to scholars, while works like the Orpheus mosaic in the NGA Sculpture Garden, though well documented, are often overlooked by visitors. The proceedings from this symposium seek to bring these hidden treasures into greater public and scholarly awareness while encouraging new ways of engaging with Chagall's art. Chagall not only engaged in the visual arts across various media, but he also expressed his inner world in every art form he created.

Schedule

Welcome and Introduction to the Online Exhibition (10:00 am)

Welcome Remarks & Introduction - Dr. Rachel Pollack

Introduction to the Online Exhibition & Chagall - Sandra Koretz

Session 1 (10:30-11:30 am) - Who is Marc Chagall? (The Identity of the Artist)

Chagall’s Self Portraits–Alyssa Jung

Chagall’s Jewish Identity (GW’s Kiev Collection)–Daniel Goldenberg

Chagall’s Russian Identity –Anna Ostereich

Coffee Break (11:30-12:00)

Session 2 (12:00-1:00) - Chagall–Beyond Surrealism

Chagall’s “Surrealism”–Tyler Lai

Chagall & The Circus–Gabi Raymond

Chagall’s Women–Serena Martin

Lunch (1:00-2:00pm)

Session 3 (2:00-3:00) - Chagall’s Vision (In Washington DC)

Chagall & The Phillips Collection–Sandra Koretz

Chagall’s Biblical Messages–John Fine

Chagall’s Orpheus Mosaic–Stella Xi

*Piano Performance of Christoph Gluck’s “Dance of the Blessed Spirits” from Orpheus and Euridice – Basey Tayfun

Session 4 (3:00-3:45) - Chagall’s Printing Techniques

Roundtable discussion moderated by: Professor Kerry McAleer-Keeler & Karthika Audinet (The Textile Museum)

Student Panel Contributors: Anya Malhotra, Katelynne Ray, Audrey Emanuel & Tahulah Lametrie

Session 5 (3:45-4:30) - A Reading and Panel Discussion on The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk

Moderated by: Hayley Finn, Director of The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk at Theater J.

RSVP