Art and music capture the raw emotional, political, and social currents that define a culture. When society undergoes major shifts—whether through technological revolutions, war, or changing moral values—creators translate those anxieties and triumphs into tangible forms.
Join University of Hartford Art History Professor Fran Altvater and Professor Emerita of Music Education Dee Hansen for a fascinating 3-session journey exploring how visual and musical masterpieces preserve the collective heartbeat of an epoch.
Dee (Demaris) Hansen (MM, Music History; DMA, Music Education) is a professor emerita of music education and author of 100 Years of Hartt: A Centennial Celebration (Wesleyan University Press, 2020). She served as director of Hartt Graduate Studies, chair of Graduate Studies in Music Education, and was director of The Hartt Summerterm graduate program (2006–2014). Dr. Hansen specializes in curriculum and assessment development, music and literacy connections, brain research, and learning theory and is the primary author of The Music and Literacy Connection (2026, 3rd ed.). She also performs with the Entwyned Early Music Trio as a Renaissance and Baroque flautist, Celtic harpist, and Baroque guitarist.
Fran Altvater (PhD Boston University) is an associate professor of art history. She teaches Introduction to Fine Arts I, II, and III, and has taught art of the Silk Road, as well as classes in museum studies. Her research focuses on medieval art and architecture, museum studies, and issues in collegiate teaching. Her book Sacramental Theology and Baptismal Fonts: Incarnation, Initiation, and Institution was published in 2017. Her current research looks at how the visual representations of everyday objects in the Middle Ages reflect the wide range of social identity that was emerging at the time.
Eric Hansen retired in 2019 from the Connecticut State Library as Electronic Resources Coordinator. He holds a master’s degree in music history and completed postgraduate work in musicology at the University of Chicago with the late Howard Mayer Brown. He performed as a professional bassist and lutenist in concerts and on recordings with nationally known musicians including Mannheim Steamroller. Over the years Eric has played the lute on two gold albums and two multi-platinum albums.
Neal Humphreys is the manager of Student Academic Services for The Hartt School. He graduated from The Hartt School with bachelor's and master's degrees in Cello Performance with an emphasis in chamber music. He delights audiences all over with an expansive and eclectic array of musical styles and influences.
Fridays, Sept. 18, 25, Oct. 2 | 9:45 a.m.–11:15 a.m. | Fuller Music Center, Room 21 | $60
Made possible in part by the generosity of the Richard P. Garmany Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. Brought to you by the Presidents' College, where we connect the curious through lifelong learning.
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