The PAG Art Lovers Book Club
- 2025
- JUL 14, SEP 15, OCT 13
- 6:30-7:30PM
Our mission is to celebrate the intersection of literature and art, showcasing works that delve into the creative process, explore the lives of artists, or offer insights into the business and culture surrounding artistry. Books are selected in advance and participants are expected to procure their own copy of the selected titles either through their local library or from a bookstore.
Join Guild members Jamie Derr and Jane Lavender who will share in thought-provoking and engaging discussions of a diverse and enriching reading journey through the captivating world of art. Enrollment is on a month-to-month basis and is limited. Sessions are offered free to the community, and registration is required. The meeting link will be sent to participants prior to each meeting.
Friendship and Forgery
All that Glitters, Orlando Whitfield
Monday, July 14th, 6:30 – 7:30
For our July meeting, join us for All that Glitters, a juicy novel about the limits of friendship and fraud through an insider’s account of the art world. A memoir of greed, ambition, and madness that will certainly take you to the center of the contemporary art world and the hidden art market.
As usual, grab a beverage of your choice for some great discussion!
A Mind-Bending Journey
Get the Picture, Bianca Bosker
Monday, September 15th, 6:30 – 7:30
Delve into the world of an award-winning journalist obsessed with obsession. Bianca Bosker’s existence was upended when she wandered into the art world—and couldn’t look away. Intrigued by artists who hyperventilate around their favorite colors and art fiends who max out credit cards to show hunks of metal they think can change the world, Bosker grew fixated on understanding why art matters and how she—or any of us—could engage with it more deeply.
An instant New York Times bestseller. Named a best book of 2024 by NPR, Time and the Economist “Get the Picture is one of the funniest books I’ve read . . . Brilliant.” —The Washington Post
So, let’s gather together on line. Grab a cup of tea, pour a glass of wine and join us virtually for some great discussions.
A novel of Leonardo DaVinci and Michaelangelo
Oil and Marble, Stephanie Storey
Monday, October 13th, 6:30 – 7:30
Lest you think this might be dry, Oil and Marble chronicles the time from 1501—1505, when Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti both lived and worked in Florence. Leonardo was a charming, handsome fifty year-old at the peak of his career. Michelangelo was a temperamental sculptor in his mid-twenties, desperate to make a name for himself. Oil and Marble is the story of their nearly forgotten rivalry. Storey brings early 16th century Florence alive, and has entered with extraordinary empathy into the minds and souls of two Renaissance masters. The book is an art history thriller.
So, let’s gather together on line. Grab a cup of tea, pour a glass of wine and join us virtually for some great discussions.
- LOCATION: Online
- Meeting link sent prior to each session
- FREE and open to the public
Jane Lavender
Artist – I use this label hesitantly as I have no formal education in art. I have taken many classes and workshops with well-known artists. I have enjoyed painting in oils, acrylics and watercolor and participate in many classes and workshops.
I am a retired social worker and served as a Council on Aging director for many years. I also served on a city council for 4 terms as well as involvement in many commissions, committees, and other volunteer roles in my community.
I have been the owner of a children’s bookstore, volunteer director of an afterschool arts program, Chair of the Bristol Art Museum, Bristol, RI, current Board Member of Portsmouth Art Guild and Linden Place Mansion, Bristol.
I am looking forward to combining my love of art with my love of reading, sharing it with others thru an artist/art book club. There are so many novels, fiction and non-fiction that highlight art throughout history and I feel that we can connect with these stories through an art /book club. I look forward to how this moves forward and excited to be part of this new venture.
Jamie Derr
I performed as a musical artist for over 20 years, exploring different musical genres without limitations while manipulating different rhythms and tones to convey intention and emotion. The visual arts are a parallel medium. Watercolors, oils, or acrylics each express an idea.
Inspired by organic forms, I enjoy brushstrokes that flow, and I tend to shy away from linear and rigid lines often seen in manmade structures. The roundness of human features to the flow of ocean water allows me to enjoy the freedom of continuous movement.
I yearn to create art that serves as a basis for a connection between the artist, subject, and viewer. With intention, passion, and creativity I aim to create pieces now and in the future that have depth and meaning while allowing my work to evolve.
I am an exhibiting artist at the Providence Art Club, The Collaborative in Warren, RI, Oil Painters of America, and an artist member at the Rhode Island Watercolor Society. I am also honored to have recently become a Board Member at the Portsmouth Arts Guild, where I can share my love of the arts with the community.
Currently, I am merging both art and writing through ekphrastic poetry. Many engaging discussions I encountered while studying poetry at Wellesley College inspired me to begin a Book Club. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with those who love books as much as I do.