Actor Federico Castelluccio, best known for his role as Furio Giunta on the award-winning HBO TV series The Sopranos, will give a talk about his other life-long role as realist painter, art collector and connoisseur of old master Baroque paintings. Castelluccio’s talk, “Striving for Perfection: A Life in the Arts,” will be held on Thursday, May 11, 5:30 pm, in Taylor Hall, room 102. The event is free and open to the public.

This talk is presented in conjunction with the new Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center exhibition, In the Light of Naples: The Art of Francesco de Mura. Four works featured in the show are from Castelluccio’s private collection. “I’m very proud to have had the opportunity to loan paintings from my personal collection to this very important, unprecedented traveling exhibition on the late Baroque master Francesco de Mura,” he says.

Castelluccio’s own paintings have been exhibited throughout the United States and Europe. His works are held in the collections of Palazzo Chigi in Ariccia, Italy; Yale University Museum of Art; Kresge Art Museum in East Lansing, Michigan; and the Tisch Fine Art Collection in New York. His works are also held in major private collections.

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“My goal as a painter, actor, and director is to study nature and all natural things, and to interpret the beauty I find in nature with truth and integrity,” Castelluccio explains.

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Castelluccio holds a BFA in painting and media arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. More of his work can be viewed here.

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Vassar College strives to make its events, performances, and facilities accessible to all. Individuals with disabilities requiring special accommodations must contact the Office of Campus Activities at least 48 hours in advance of an event, Mondays-Fridays, at (845) 437‑5370. Without sufficient notice, appropriate space/and or assistance may not be available. For detailed information about accessibility to specific campus facilities, search for “campus accessibility information” on the Vassar homepage (http://www.vassar.edu).

Directions to the Vassar campus, located at 124 Raymond Avenue in Poughkeepsie, NY, are available here.

Program Includes Sneak-Peek Preview of Starz’s forthcoming American Gods Television Series and Conversation with Executive Producer Bryan Fuller.

In a special evening program, Professor in the Arts Neil Gaiman and Executive Producer Bryan Fuller discuss moving from page to screen for the forthcoming Starz television series, “American Gods,” adapted from Gaiman’s best selling novel. The event takes place on Saturday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m., and includes an exclusive preview of the first episode of the new television series ahead of its premiere on the Starz network, which will take place on April 30 at 9 p.m. Episode one of the “American Gods” program will be screened in the Sosnoff Theater at 7:30 p.m., followed by a brief intermission at 8:30 p.m., after which Gaiman and Fuller will discuss their collaboration and take questions from the audience. Tickets are $25, free to the Bard community, and may be purchased or reserved by calling the box office at 845–758-7900, or by visiting the website:

About Starz’s American Gods Series

American Gods posits a different kind of war brewing—one between Old Gods and New. The traditional Old Gods, with mythological roots from around the world, fear irrelevance as their believers die off or are seduced by the money, technology, and celebrity offered by the New Gods. Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) is an ex-con who, left adrift by the recent death of his wife, becomes bodyguard and traveling partner to conman Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane). But in truth, Mr. Wednesday is a powerful old deity, on a cross-country mission to build an army and reclaim his lost glory.

Adapted from the award-winning novel, American Gods stars Ricky Whittle (The 100, Austenland) as Shadow Moon; Ian McShane (Deadwood, Ray Donovan) as Mr. Wednesday; Emily Browning (Sucker Punch, Legend) as Laura Moon and Pablo Schreiber (Orange is the New Black) as Mad Sweeney. Other cast members include Yetide Badaki (Aquarius, Masters of Sex) as Bilquis, Bruce Langley (Deadly Waters) as Technical Boy, Crispin Glover (Back to the Future) as Mr. World and Orlando Jones (Madiba, Sleepy Hollow) as Mr. Nancy.

Additional cast include Gillian Anderson (The X-Files, The Fall) as Media; Kristin Chenoweth (Pushing Daisies, Wicked) as Easter; Jonathan Tucker (Kingdom) as Low Key Lyesmith; Cloris Leachman (Malcom in The Middle, Raising Hope) as Zorya Vechernyaya; Peter Stormare (Fargo, Prison Break) as Czernobog; Chris Obi (Snow White and the Huntsman, The Counselor) as Anubis; Demore Barnes (12 Monkeys) as Mr. Ibis, Corbin Bernsen (L.A. Law) as Vulcan and Mousa Kraish (Superbad, Fast & Furious) as The Jinn.

American Gods is produced by FremantleMedia North America. Bryan Fuller (Hannibal, Pushing Daisies, Heroes) and Michael Green (Blade Runner 2049, Alien: Covenant, Murder on the Orient Express, Kings, Heroes) are writers and showrunners. David Slade (Hannibal, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse) is directing the pilot and additional episodes. FMNA’s Craig Cegielski and Stefanie Berk are executive producers along with Fuller, Green, Slade, Adam Kane and Neil Gaiman. Senior Vice Presidents of Original Programming Marta Fernandez and Ken Segna are the Starz executives in charge of American Gods.

Neil Gaiman, photo by Kyle Kennedy

Neil Gaiman, professor in the arts at Bard College, is a New York Times best– selling author of novels, poetry, short stories, graphic novels, comics, journalism, and screenplays, who is listed in the Dictionary of Literary Biography as one of the top 10 living postmodern writers. Works include The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neverwhere, Stardust, Anansi Boys, Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett), the award-winning Sandman series of graphic novels, and the short story collections Smoke and Mirrors and Fragile Things. Novels for younger readers include Fortunately, the Milk; Coraline, also an Academy Award–nominated film; and The Graveyard Book, winner of the Newbery (U.S.) and Carnegie (U.K.) Medals. He has written and directed for film and television, including a 2011 episode of Doctor Who that won the Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation and the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. Make Good Art, the text of a commencement speech he delivered at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts, was published in a volume designed by graphic artist Chip Kidd. www.neilgaiman.com

Bryan Fuller, photo courtesy of the artist

Bryan Fuller serves as executive producer and co-showrunner on Starz’s American Gods, based on Neil Gaiman’s classic novel. Fuller got his start writing Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, followed by Star Trek: Voyager, where he worked his way up from freelance writer to staff writer to co-producer. He charted a new path during his last year on Star Trek: Voyager, writing a spec pilot called “Dead Girl,” which became Showtime’s Dead Like Me. Fuller then went on to create the critically acclaimed series Wonderfalls for Fox and wrote and executive produced the animated movie The Amazing Screw-On Head with Mike Mignola for the Sci-Fi Channel. He also served as writer and co-executive producer on the first season of NBC’s Heroes before leaving to create the Emmy Award– winning Pushing Daisies for ABC. He wrote and executive produced Mockingbird Lane, a reimagining of the classic sit-com The Munsters as a modern family dramedy, which aired on NBC as a Halloween special, and served as executive producer on the television film High Moon for Syfy. Bryan then developed and executive produced the critically– acclaimed series Hannibal, which ran for three seasons on NBC. Fuller was the recipient of the Dan Curtis Legacy Award at the 40th Annual Saturn Awards, as well as the 3rd Annual Award for Comic-Con All Access Game Changer from Spike TV.

The Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College

The Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College — Photo by Peter Aaron/Esto

Named for the late Richard B. Fisher, former chair of Bard’s Board of Trustees, the Fisher Center has become an influential force in performing arts programming, earning critical acclaim for innovative productions of opera, orchestral, chamber, dance, and theater programs. The Center was designed by legendary architect Frank Gehry and distinguished acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, and has received international praise for its breathtaking architecture and superb sound.

Each summer the Fisher Center presents the Bard SummerScape festival, seven weeks of performing arts programs reflecting the life and times of the featured composer of the esteemed Bard Music Festival, now celebrating its 28th year. Fall and spring seasons include original productions, special one-night-only concerts, and touring artists from around the globe.

The Fisher Center is home to the Bard College Theater & Performance and Dance Programs, providing students access to exceptional theater facilities and opportunities to work with professional directors and dramaturges on publicly attended productions throughout the year. The Bard College Conservatory of Music and Bard College Music Program stage regular orchestral and chamber concerts. Fishercenter.bard.edu

Featured Image: Ian McShane, (Mr. Wednesday) and Ricky Whittle, (Shadow Moon) From forthcoming Starz television series, American Gods. Photo courtesy of Starz