Duke’s OLLI at the NCMA—Stories of Migration: Esther in Amsterdam and the Harlem Renaissance

What do 17th-century Amsterdam and 1920s Harlem have in common? Join Duke’s OLLI at the NCMA to explore the parallel journeys of Jewish life in Rembrandt’s Amsterdam and African American culture during the Harlem Renaissance. People from both time periods sought identity, freedom, and belonging in new urban worlds. Inspired by two major art exhibitions at the NCMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, we’ll examine how each era used artistic expression to shape cultural legacy and resilience in the face of displacement and change.

This lecture series is offered in partnership with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Duke. OLLI provides educational, social, leadership, and volunteer opportunities to older adults locally and across the US.

About the speaker
Kris Door is a former professor of art history and long-standing partner to the NCMA as a public lecturer, docents’ trainer, and museum educator. Now retired, she shares her passion for art as an instructor with OLLI at Duke.