Raising Spirits: Art and Wine in the Western World
a program of The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

With Kirsten Shilakes

In this slideshow presentation, art and wine history lecturer Kirsten Ditterich-Shilakes weaves entertaining tid-bits and lore showing wine’s wide ranging impacts, from poetry to politics.

Find out how the subject of wine has captured the attention of artists ranging from the 16^th century Renaissance painter, Titian, to the contemporary Bay Area master, Thiebaud.  Throughout history, wine-related subject matter, such as the silhouette of a wine glass or still lifes of fleshy, sweet, grape clusters, has served as muse for art.  This photographic journey will trace the history of wine in art, spanning geographies from Egypt to California and explore intriguing gustatory connections between wine and its intersections with the Fine Arts Museums’ collection.  Kirsten will be weaving four unique wine tastings of Clos Pegase wine throughout the course of her presentation and engaging all senses in connecting art and wine into the experience of the hour.

When:  Sunday, May 18, 2008            4 to 6 PM

Where: Clos Pegase Winery, 1060 Dunaweal Lane, Calistoga

WineSpirit members: $15; non-members: $20.

Includes wine and taste treats in the first half hour

About Our Presenter:

Kirsten Shilakes, author of “Wine as Muse” Art, Wine and Philosophy”, in Wine and Philosophy, Blackwell Publishing, 2007, has been a docent at the Asian Art Museum and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco for over a decade.  She has “walked and talked” art in daunting breadth, ranging from second century Buddhas to de Kooning’s abstract expressionism.  Exposing surprising touch points between the worlds of art and wine, Kirsten is constantly enticing audiences to look at art in a brand new way.

Just down the road from the town of Calistoga, there is a crossroads. It's the intersection of wine and art. And at that crossroads, you'll find something rare and remarkable: balance. You'll find serious, passionate estate-grown winemaking balanced with an open-hearted spirit of sharing and celebration. You'll find great works of art living in harmony with the earthy simplicity of the soil and the vine. You'll find a majestic temple that's somehow both awe-inspiring and welcoming. Wine that offers both true varietal intensity and food-friendly approachability. You'll find a place that captures the spirit of Bacchus: equal parts divine and joyfully down-to-earth. Look for the crossroads, and there, you'll find Clos Pegase.