Northland College Professor of Religion and Philosophy Les Alldritt will lead a tea-time discussion at Forest Lodge near Cable July 18 at 2-3:30. Hosted by Northland College, Alldritt will be talking about Mary Griggs Burke’s interest in Japanese art, how that influence is expressed at Forest Lodge in the Japanese garden, and about her collection from a Japanese religion perspective.

Mary Griggs Burke was renowned for her collection of Japanese art, the largest and most important private collection outside Japan. She studied Japanese culture at Columbia University and her study of Japanese art, specifically, inspired her to deepen her collection, with annual trips to Japan.

Her mother Mary Livingston Griggs and the Mary Griggs Burke Foundation helped establish the Department of Art History and Archaeology and the Mary Griggs Burke Center for Japanese Art at Columbia University.

Alldritt has studied and taught Japanese aesthetics as part of his courses and visited Japan numerous times—as recently as May 2019. Alldritt was able to view part of her collection at the Burke exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Art where her collection figures prominently in their permanent collection.

Held in the boathouse on Lake Namekagon, the Tea Talk is $10 online or $15 at the door. For more information, contact Sarah Szymaniak at 715-682-1306 or sszymaniak@northland.edu.