The Arts Society Brussels July Newsletter

Newsletter July 2022 View this email in your browser

Dear <<First Name>>

Another season has gone by and we can now reflect on the interesting talks we have had. We were happy to return to our usual venue and meet up again with friends. There was a real buzz in the air and in the hall, just like before !!
It makes me think of Wabi-Sabi, traditional Japanese aesthetic, sometimes described as an appreciation of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete" and how it can change our perception of the world to the extent that a chip or crack in a vase makes it more interesting and gives the object greater meditative value.

It has been a difficult year due to Covid since we had extra expenditure putting up our lecturers in hotels as opposed to having members hosting them and having the benefit of spending more time with them. We are therefore calling on all our members once again who would like to volunteer to host one of our lecturers for the forthcoming season. We are currently preparing our flyers with the Programme for next season - as soon as these are available, you will be receiving your copy in the post..

What a great talk we had from Dr. Paul Roberts on "The Last Supper in Pompeii" in the presence of our patron H.E. Martin Shearman, British Ambassador to Belgium.

Paul, entertained us with his enthusiasm and took us on a journey throughout the Roman sites of Pompeii and Oplontis - both buried by Mount Vesuvius in the catastrophic eruption of AD 79. He shared the passion of the Romans for fine dining, illustrated by the fine marble statue of the wine-god Bacchus. This underlined the importance of the gods in every aspect of food and drink. Vineyards, fields, orchards and seas of the area around Pompeii revealed how the food and drink that sustained the cities was actually produced. A fresco presenting people on couches at a banquet, or in Latin the convivium, literally the 'living together', which was so important for the social side of eating and drinking that the Roman philosopher Seneca could declare '....dinner....without a friend is like the life of the lion or a wolf'.

You can see and read more from this link:
https://the-past.com/feature/last-supper-in-pompeii.
Those who missed this fascinating lecture can view a 45-min talk on YouTube: Last Supper in Pompeii - Ashmoleum Museum.

Our recent guided tour of the Rose Garden in St-Pieters-Leeuw was an enjoyable event for all participants. Some of the favourite varieties of roses included: Anne Frank, Green Star, Hawthorn, Ensemble de Rose, Louis de Funes, Robin Hood, Warm Welcome, Johnny Walker, Relax, Melody Maker and Barbara Hendrickx.

Wishing you all a sunny Summer and look forward to seeing you with renewed energy at our first talk in October.

Look out for your copy of the Summer magazine coming your way!

Programme 2022-2023

Membership Registration Season 2022-2023

Membership Fee for season 2022-2023 : €100
Early bird subscription before end of September 2022: €85
Guest fee: €15 for a live lecture at our usual venue.
Student fee: €8
Hybrid lecture: €8

Muriel Lowe
Your Chairman and the Committee

Guided visits: contact@foundation-frison-horta.be

Brussels Women's Club

The 5th Charity walk was organized in Muizen, Mechelen to raise funds for the Community Kitchen and the Mbedza Project. A beautiful day to explore nature and listen to the birds singing.

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