TACOMA, WA.- Tacoma Art Museum offers the community an opportunity to better understand and appreciate Western modern art through a new Tuesday evening program. Dr. Ronald Fields, Professor Emeritus of Art History at University of Puget Sound , will lead the six-week course as the second part of a larger eighteen-week series which runs from October 2006 through April 2007.

According to Paula McArdle , Curator of Education at Tacoma Art Museum , the series was created as a guided tour through the evolution of modern art, beginning with neoclassicism and romanticism, and working through expressionism and art as autobiography. “The program features a lecture and slide show by Dr. Fields, plus a time for questions and answers. It’s perfect for those who love art, but who may feel less confident when it comes to placing what they see in the museum’s galleries into a historical context,” said McArdle.

The series – the first of its kind at Tacoma Art Museum – is one of several new collaborations between the museum and professionals in the community. Dr. Fields brings years of teaching art history to the program. Fields received his Master of Arts degree from the University of Arkansas and doctorate from Ohio University . He had been a member of the art department faculty at UPS for about 35 years.

All sessions begin at 6 pm and will be held at Tacoma Art Museum . The cost for a six-week session is $45 for members and $65 for non-members. Individual lectures are $8 for members and $12 for non-members. For those who wish to join the museum when registering for the series, the cost of a six-week session is just $40, or just under $7 per session. Pre-registration is required. Call 253.272.4258 x3030 or email programs@TacomaArtMuseum.org.