Curious Birth: Unpacking Christmas
Instructed by Charlotte Gray
A One-Day Class:
December 14, 2025, 1:30-3:30pm
Registration Deadline: December 11
[ REGISTER HERE ]
Tuition
$25
Description
’Tis the season for USPS to offer its annual selection of holiday stamps. But what images of the Christ-child aren’t so likely to make it to a mailbox near you? Join us for a special discussion devoted to the history of artworks that picture Christ’s birth and childhood, sometimes in surprising ways.
We’ll begin by looking at some of the earliest images of the Nativity to learn about the iconographic evolution of the narratives and figures that feature so prominently in the visual culture of America’s holiday season. Moving through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Early Modern period, we will observe the interplay of tradition and innovation in artworks produced first in Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean and Africa, and then across the globe. Along the way we will learn to draw connections and make distinctions between ancient and modern imaginings of the cast of characters that we see populating the churches, shops, billboards and front lawns of Cincinnati and beyond.
We will discuss works across media and practices, including but not limited to painting, sculpture, architecture and public performance.
This one-day class will cover the following topics:
• An introduction to the iconography of the Nativity, Virgin and Child and related subjects
• An introduction to the term iconography and how we can use iconography to understand artworks
• A survey of the history and influence of both well-known and lesser-known artistic interpretations of the Christmas story
• A discussion of how these types of images have been (mis)understood or reimagined in contemporary visual culture
Texts or other Required/Recommended Materials
Note-taking and/or sketching materials of choice.
Level of Study: Beginner
This gathering is open to all students interested in friendly discourse and the joy of encountering new ideas.
Suggested Prerequisites: none
LOCATION: Unless otherwise specified, all courses are hosted at Manifest's new facility at 'M1' in Clifton at 3464 Central Parkway (see map and directions below). Manifest's new facility provides multiple studio classrooms, private lesson space, a darkroom, a film processing room, and a multi-purpose lecture and class meeting space as well as on-site parking, grounds, and exterior spaces in which to relax, discuss, and make art. The studios are outfitted with professional equipment, furniture, and study aids.
Map to Manifest's M1 Studios | Studio Calendar | Darkroom Calendar
Manifest's new home on Central Parkway is a historic 1932 structure ideally suited to the various programs of the Manifest Drawing Center (and future Manifest Gallery).
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About the Instructor
Charlotte Gray holds a Ph.D. in Art History from Harvard University. She has curated exhibitions and taught art history courses at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts and the University of Connecticut, where she recently concluded a collaborative research project about Parkinson’s disease and the history of photography. Outside of art history, she enjoys learning about herbalism, Irish and American fiddling styles, classical chamber music and percussive dancing.
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