Noah Charney: "Traffickers, Thieves and Forgers in the World of Art" | Press Releases

Open VISIONS Forum Lecture Series
3 p.m., Sunday, March 24, 2013
Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts
Tickets: $45

Image: N Charney World-renowned expert in the field of art crime, Noah Charney, presents a lecture entitled "Traffickers, Thieves and Forgers in the World of Art" at 3 p.m., Sunday, March 24, 2013 , at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts as part of its signature lecture series, Open VISIONS Forum. Best-selling author and educator, Noah Charney lectures internationally in the subjects of art history and art crime. He is a Visiting Lecturer for Brown University abroad programs and Adjunct Professor of Art History at the American University of Rome. He holds Masters degrees in art history from The Courtauld Institute and University of Cambridge and a Ph.D. from University of Ljubljana. Dr. Charney is the founder of the Association for Research into Crimes against Art, ARCA, a non-proﬁt organization which works to promote the study and research of art crime and cultural heritage protection ( www.artcrimeresearch.org ).

Dr. Charney will be introduced by Christopher "Kip" Bergstrom , Deputy Commissioner of the CT Department of Economic and Community Development. Following Dr. Charney's presentation, there will be an informal conversation and discussion with Philip Eliasoph , Ph.D., OVF moderator and professor of art history at Fairfield University, and Jill Deupi, Ph.D., director of Fairfield University's Bellarmine Museum of Art and assistant professor of art history. Moffly Media is the exclusive magazine sponsor for the 2012-13 Open VISIONS Forum series. Single tickets are $45.

"Dr. Charney's fascinating research provides important new insights into the problematic realm of art theft, which impacts society at large in surprisingly direct ways," said Dr. Jill Deupi. "Beyond the loss of priceless treasures and the shared cultural memories these works embody and preserve, such crimes are often part of a much larger, more menacing web of criminal activity, including the illegal trafficking of drugs and firearms. These are not, therefore, the 'victimless' crimes that they are commonly said to be. Dr. Charney's research, like the on-going work of ARCA and his many, finely-crafted written works, casts this situation in a new and clarifying light."

Dr. Charney is the author of numerous academic and popular articles, including a regular column in ArtInfo called "The Secret History of Art" and a weekly interview series in The Daily Beast called "How I Write." His first novel, "The Art Thief" (Atria 2007), is currently translated into seventeen languages and is a best-seller in five countries. The Financial Times called it "an engaging whodunit." USA Today said: "Fascinating details about Caravaggio and Vermeer, the lucrative business of art forgery and the sophisticated thieves who steal priceless paintings." And the Rocky Mountain News opined: "Descriptively brilliant and filled with witticisms, this fine romp features a clever and well-drawn cast of characters, as well as educates readers about real masterpieces and the artists behind them."

Noah Charney is the editor of an academic essay collection entitled "Art & Crime: Exploring the Dark Side of the Art World" (Praeger 2009) and the "Museum Time" series of guides to museums in Spain (Planeta 2010). His is the author of a critically-acclaimed work of non-fiction, "Stealing the Mystic Lamb: the True History of the World's Most Coveted Masterpiece"(PublicAffairs 2011), is a best-seller in two countries that tells the story of the most frequently stolen artwork of all time, "The Ghent Altarpiece" by Jan van Eyck. The Sunday Times UK calls it "an intriguing blend of reportage and art history, providing what is in effect a remarkable "biography" of this beautiful and tough survivor [The Ghent Altarpiece]. And the Christian Science Monitor explains: "In scrupulous detail, Charney divulges the secrets of the revered painting's past, and in doing so, gives readers a history lesson on art crime, a still-prospering black market. His latest book is "The Thefts of the Mona Lisa: On Stealing the World's Most Famous Painting"(ARCA Publications 2011). Upcoming books include "The Book of Forgery" (Phaidon 2014) and "The Invention of Art" (Norton 2015)

"Noah Charney is the Sherlock Holmes of art theft," said Mark Lamster, author of "Master of Shadows.""Beyond his great sleuthing prowess, he writes with the simple grace of a novelist and the erudition of a scholar." Guillermo Solana, Director of the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, notes "Noah Charney is an important bridge between museums and the general public."

Dr. Charney's work in the field of art crime has been praised in such forums as The New York Times Magazine, Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, BBC Radio, National Public Radio, El Pais, Vogue, Vanity Fair , and Tatler among others. He has appeared on radio and television, including BBC, ITV, CNBC, and MSNBC, and is in constant demand as a lecturer. Mr. Charney lives in Italy and Slovenia.

Tickets are available through the Quick Center Box Office: (203) 254-4010, or toll-free 1-877-ARTS-396 (1-877-278-7396). Tickets can also be purchased online at www.quickcenter.com .

The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts is located on the campus of Fairfield University at 1073 North Benson Road in Fairfield, Connecticut. Entrance to the Quick Center is through the Barlow Road gate at 200 Barlow Road. Free, secure parking is available. Access for people with disabilities is available throughout the Quick Center for audience members and performers. Hearing amplification devices are available upon request at the Box Office. Fairfield University is located off exit 22 of Interstate-95. For further information and directions, call (203) 254-4010 or 1-877-278-7396, or visit www.quickcenter.com .

Image: Noah Charney. Photo by Urska Charney.