“I want to paint men and women,” wrote Vincent van Gogh, “with that something of the eternal which the halo used to symbolize, and which we seek to communicate by the actual radiance and vibration of our coloring.” In Dave Sommers’ presentation we will explore how art works have the potential to elicit a powerful experience that awakens us to our shared humanity and challenges us to take action. In particular, we will explore seminal works by Picasso, Chagall, Ossawa Tanner, and Van Gogh, and gain insight into their craft and use of color and design to offer the viewer a mirror of the human condition and a window into beauty both immanent and transcendent.

Dave Sommers, Artist, Teacher, and Theologian, Moravian Academy Upper School