The Worcester Art Museum will launch its fourth season of Master Series Third Thursday events, which include a talk and reception of significant work or works of art from Worcester Art Museum’s encyclopedic collection or from a museum exhibition. The series features acclaimed speakers drawn from around the country whose relevant expertise stimulates lively, thought-provoking discussions. Each Master Series event is held on a third Thursday of the month from 5:30-8 p.m., with the art talk taking place from 6-7 p.m. The events are free with museum admission. They are also free for any college student with a valid ID. Upcoming topics include:

Nov. 16

The Gale, by Winslow Homer
Art Talk: “Coming Away:  Winslow Homer and England”
Speaker:  Judith C. Walsh, Professor Emeriti of Paper Conservation, Buffalo State College

Often called the quintessential American artist, Winslow Homer produced some of his best and most celebrated works after a year-long sojourn, from 1881-1882, in Cullercoats, England.  Through her lens as a conservation scientist, Judith Walsh speaks to Homer’s evolving working style as a result of his time in England.  This program is held in conjunction with the exhibition, Coming Away:  Winslow Homer and England.

Feb. 15

A Winged Genius, Assyrian (Nimrud)
Art Talk:  In the Company of Genies
Speaker:  Ada Cohen, Ph.D., professor of Art History and the Israel Evans Professor in Oratory and Belles Lettres at Dartmouth College

The Assyrian kings, who ruled in Mesopotamia from the ninth through the seventh century B.C., projected an image of themselves as all-powerful, divinely sanctioned monarchs. They adorned their palaces with monumental friezes that displayed their authority and wealth.  Professor Cohen examines WAM’s winged “genius,” or protective being, in the context of the palace of the 9th-century BCE Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II at Nimrud in modern-day Iraq, where it was one of many such figures.

March 15

Ming Huang and Yang Guifei Listening to Music, Early Ming Dynasty
Program:  A Reinterpretation of Ancient Music at the Chinese Tang Court
Composer:  Shirish Korde, College of the Holy Cross
Performer:  Jan M?ller-Szeraws, artist-in-residence, College of the Holy Cross

Learn about traditional Chinese music in a talk by Shirish Korde followed by a concert featuring acclaimed cellist Jan M?ller-Szerwas.  The program will include the premiere of a new solo work for cello by Korde, inspired by ancient Chinese melodies originally composed for the qin, a traditional Chinese instrument.  This program is held in conjunction with the exhibition, Dangerous Liaisons Revisited.

April 19

Emmett at Ten Years, by Byron Kim
Art Talk:  Issues in Contemporary Art
Speaker:  Byron Kim, contemporary artist

Hear about issues in contemporary art and learn about Byron Kim’s captivating life and work, including his unique approach to portraiture.

May 17

A Miracle of Saint Donatus of Arezzo, Attributed to Leonardo da Vinci and Lorenzo di Credi
Art Talk:  Rediscovering Leonardo
Speaker, Laurence Kanter, Ph.D., chief curator and the Lionel Goldfrank III Curator of European Art, Yale University Art Gallery

Laurence Kanter, who did collaborative research on A Miracle of Saint Donatus of Arezzo with conservators at WAM and the Louvre, delves into the fascinating story behind this panel painting in WAM’s collection and how it has helped us better understand the genius of Leonardo da Vinci. This program is held in conjunction with the exhibition, The Mystery of Worcester’s Leonardo.

The Worcester Art Museum, located at 55 Salisbury St., is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and every third Thursday from 10 a.m.-8p.m. Admission is $16 for adults, $6 for children 4-17, $14 for seniors 65+, and $12 for college students with ID.  Members and children under four are free. Admission is free for any college student with a valid ID on the third Thursday of each month.  Parking is free. For more information, visit worcesterart.org.