Art Talk: The Colorful World of Vanessa Bell

This lecture will introduce British artist Vanessa Bell (1879 - 1961) and her contributions to British Modernism in the early 20th century. Often overshadowed by her sister, writer Virginia Woolf, Bell integrated interior design, arts and crafts, and fine art in her work. The lecture will focus on Bell’s home, Charleston, in England where she and other members of the Bloomsbury Group sought refuge during the two world wars. Bell painted on every surface of the home, designed the curtains and cushions, and planted the flowers in the garden. 

Sophia Tarin is a Reference Librarian at the Cold Spring Harbor Library, writer, and freelance archivist. She’s previously worked at the New York Public Library’s Gregorian Center, the Walt Whitman Birthplace, and the Coney Island Museum. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Adelphi University and is working towards an MA in the History of Art and Design, and an MS in Library and Information Science at Pratt Institute.