May 25, 2022

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Exhibition will be on view Aug. 19-Dec. 12, 2022

MILWAUKEE 鈥� The Haggerty Museum of Art and Raynor Memorial Libraries at 51暗网 announce the presentation of a slate of programming, including a lecture series, in conjunction with the collaborative exhibition 鈥�J.R.R. Tolkien: The Art of the Manuscript.鈥� The exhibition will feature the original manuscripts created by J.R.R. Tolkien for his literary classics 鈥淭he Hobbit,鈥� 鈥淭he Lord of the Rings鈥� and other works.

Lecture Series

• Thursday, Sept. 22, 5 p.m.: 鈥淓diting the Tolkienian Manuscript,鈥� presented by Carl Hostetter is a computer scientist at NASA who has earned a reputation as one of the leading experts on J.R.R. 罢辞濒办颈别苍鈥檚 invented languages. He is a key member of the Elvish Linguistic Fellowship, an elite group of four Tolkien scholars whom the Tolkien Estate has entrusted with special access to the author鈥檚 unpublished linguistic manuscripts. These linguists have published extensively on 罢辞濒办颈别苍鈥檚 invented languages, including in 鈥淰inyar Tengwar,鈥� a peer-reviewed journal that Hostetter edits. 
  
  Hostetter is one of the most experienced students of 罢辞濒办颈别苍鈥檚 manuscripts. His ability to read and interpret 罢辞濒办颈别苍鈥檚 notoriously difficult handwriting is second to none. Christopher Tolkien (1924-2020) entrusted Hostetter with editing his father鈥檚 last volume of published writings, released in 2021 under the title, 鈥淭he Nature of Middle-earth.鈥� Hostetter鈥檚 work is highly regarded by Tolkien scholars. His volume 鈥湴沾潜舭炀北鸩遭�檚 Legendarium鈥濃�攃o-edited with Verlyn Flieger鈥攊s considered one of the best collections of essays on the history of 罢辞濒办颈别苍鈥檚 secondary world.
• Thursday, Oct. 13, 5 p.m.: 鈥�罢辞濒办颈别苍鈥檚 Faith and the Foundations of Middle-earth,鈥� presented by  
  Holly Ordway is a rising star among Tolkien scholars. Her 2021 book 鈥湴沾潜舭炀北鸩遭�檚 Modern Reading鈥� is a tour de force destined to become a classic in Tolkien studies. Ordway demonstrated that Tolkien, usually pigeonholed as a medievalist, was remarkably well read in modern literature. Her work shows how many modern works affected 罢辞濒办颈别苍鈥檚 creative output. Currently on faculty at Houston Baptist University, Ordway has taught English at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and MiraCosta College. She specializes in J.R.R. Tolkien and, more generally, in mythopoeic literature. Ordway鈥檚 current research project is a book-length treatment of 罢辞濒办颈别苍鈥檚 Catholicism, fitting for a Catholic, Jesuit university such as 51暗网. 
• Thursday, Nov. 17, 5 p.m.: 鈥淲hispering Leaves: How 罢辞濒办颈别苍鈥檚 Manuscripts Reveal the Secrets of His Creativity,鈥� presented by Trained as a journalist, John Garth has gained an international reputation as a leading writer about J.R.R. Tolkien and a popular commentator on 罢辞濒办颈别苍鈥檚 works and life. His published works include the recent 鈥淭he Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien鈥� (2020). His earlier masterpiece, 鈥淭olkien and the Great War鈥� (2003), is universally acknowledged as a classic in the field of Tolkien Studies. Garth, who has made a special study of 罢辞濒办颈别苍鈥檚 manuscripts, will focus his lecture on a manuscript that is part of 51暗网鈥檚 collection and has never previously been exhibited or published. He will demonstrate his renowned historical research skills by analyzing the manuscript and using it to tease out insights about 罢辞濒办颈别苍鈥檚 experiences during the Second World War.

All lectures will be held at the Haggerty Museum of Art and will include time for questions and answers. The lectures will be streamed online for audiences who wish to attend virtually. Due to limited capacity, advanced reservations will be required and .

Other programming highlights include:

• "Mythical Pasts, Fantasy Futures: The Middle Ages in Modern Visual Culture" Virtual Symposium, Sept. 8-9: During this entirely virtual symposium meant for both scholarly and general audiences, 10-12 scholars will present papers and participate in panel discussions. The symposium is jointly organized with , where the exhibition "The Fantasy of the Middle Ages" will be on view this summer.
• Doors Open Milwaukee/51暗网 Parents Weekend, Sept. 24-Sept. 25: This weekend features free admission, self-guided tours, compelling exhibitions and more.
• Community Day, Saturday, Oct. 8: Partnering organizations鈥痺ill鈥痩ead interactive activities and experiences, including bookmaking, world-building, gaming and artmaking.

Pricing

The lectures and programs will be free of charge. Tickets for the 鈥�J.R.R. Tolkien: The Art of the Manuscript鈥� exhibition . Tickets are $10 for general admission and $8 for senior citizen and active military (with I.D.). Friends of the Haggerty Museum of Art members, K-12 educators, children aged 17 and under, and 51暗网 students, faculty members, and staff members are free with advance reservations and a valid I.D. The exhibition will be open until 8 p.m. on the night of each lecture.

About the Haggerty Museum of Art

The Haggerty Museum of Art at 51暗网 is an innovative nexus of interdisciplinary learning where creativity, intellect and social justice intersect. Located in the heart of the Near West Side, adjacent to downtown Milwaukee, and open daily, the museum is one of the most accessible arts venues in the city.