Annual Beverley Fingerhut Memorial Lecture: Peggy Guggenheim and her Impact on Twentieth Century Art

Guest speaker: Alexandra Epps, arts lecturer, official guide and lecturer at Tate Modern and Tate Britain

Not only was Peggy Guggenheim ahead of her time but she was the woman who helped to define it. She discovered and nurtured a new generation of artists producing a new kind of art. Through collecting not only art but often the artists themselves, her life was as radical as her collection. Join Alexandra Epps for a unique story of art and life and the evolution of a remarkable modern art collection, still housed today in the heart of her beloved Venice.

Presented in partnership with The Women’s Art Association of Canada. Generously sponsored by the Fingerhut/Metcalfe family.

Please note: Due to copyright issues, this virtual event will not be recorded.

Alexandra Epps is an accredited Lecturer for The Arts Society and Guide and Lecturer for Tate Modern, Tate Britain and the Guildhall Art Gallery. Alexandra is also an Official Guide to the City of London offering talks and walks about many aspects of the arts for societies, corporations and private individuals. Her background is in design having practiced as a graphic designer running her own design consultancy for many years. Official Guide and Lecturer at Tate Modern, Tate Britain and Guildhall Art Gallery. Pallant House Gallery Lecturer. Qualified Guide to the City of London, offering lectures and walks about many aspects of the arts for societies, corporations and private individuals. Member of the City of London Guide Lecturers Association. Co-author of the book Lord Mayor’s Portraits 1983-2014 (2015). Alexandra’s background is in design having practiced as a graphic designer running her own design consultancy for many years. BA Saint Martins School of Art, MA London College of Printing. For more information please visit www.artcity.co.uk

The Women’s Art Association is the longest standing arts organization of Canada, founded in 1887 by Mary Ella Dignam. Today, it is a thriving, diverse, volunteer-led charitable organization with 230 members. Our purpose is to provide public education in the arts, to support women artists, and the education of students in the arts. In keeping with our charitable mandate, Women’s Art offers arts-based educational programs and workshops that are open to the public. We provide scholarships to 18 students at 7 institutions, including the National Ballet School and the Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory. We have two galleries at our premises on Prince Arthur Avenue – the Dignam Gallery and the Ruth Upjohn Gallery, where we host member shows and juried partnership exhibitions. As a member of the Bloor Street Cultural Corridor, we strive to be active and have partnered with a number of arts-related initiatives within the community. For more information please visit https://womensartofcanada.ca

Beverley Fingerhut was one of the very first female IT executives in Canada, becoming Vice-President at CGI Canada. Later, she became National Program Director at the Centre of Excellence in Business Analysis at the Schulich School of Business at York University. A lifelong learner and hearty appreciator of culture, her love of visual art inspired her to volunteer as a docent at the AGO. A devoted Miles Nadal JCC community member and Lay Leader, Beverley generously volunteered her time for 6 years to lovingly curate and lead the Miles Nadal JCC Book Club. In December 2019, UJA Federation honoured Beverley with a Community Volunteer Award, in recognition of her years of devotion to our community. Beverley passed away in April 2021. She touched and transformed the lives of so many in our JCC community, and she is dearly missed. To commemorate Beverley’s lasting legacy, the Annual Beverley Fingerhut Memorial Lecture was created, and this virtual lecture is the inaugural event. Honour to her memory!