“American Painter Edward Hopper” ART TALK with artist Gay Bechtelheimer • September 25

SAAC launches the newest season of Art Talks with Gay Bechtelheimer on September 25 at 6:30 pm. For the first lecture of the series, Bechtelheimer will take a deeper look at renowned American painter Edward Hopper.

Early Sunday Morning, Edward Hopper, 1930, The Whitney Museum of American Art

Regarded as one of America's foremost realistic painters, Hopper's famous works include scenes as iconic as Nighthawks (1942) and Early Sunday Morning (1930). His work often depicts the stillness beneath the business of urban America, balancing realism with psychological depth. Even today, the quiet streets, empty diners and austere cityscapes of Edward Hopper's paintings continue to captivate with their haunting and nostalgic familiarity.

Hopper's work was initially covered during the early days of Bechtelheimer's Art Talks, but bears revisiting for both its artistic significance and its formidable presence in American museum collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

"Hopper's paintings resonate because they reflect our own moments of pause," said Bechtelheimer. "His imagery, isolated figures at windows, gas stations on empty highways, and theater interiors glowing with artificial light-captures both the beauty, melancholy, and solitude of modern existence."

The free event will begin with refreshments starting at 6:30 p.m. in the gallery, followed by Bechtelheimer's presentation onstage.

• • • • •