Leonardo da Vinci

Upcoming Event

Art & the Machine: A Live Radio Theater Event
Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci

Thursday, Jan. 23
5:30 p.m. CT
Sheldon Museum of Art

12th and R Streets, Lincoln, NE 68588 (map)

Free and open to the public; registration required.

Leonardo da Vinci was an artist and inventor ahead of his time, a speculative designer of machines and inventions that were too sophisticated to be realized in his day.

Join us for a free live performance event inspired by his boundary-pushing curiosity about wind, birds and flying machines, featuring an original radio theater production co-created by OLLI at UNL members and generative AI under the guidance of artists Ash Eliza Smith, Robert Twomey, and their team of artists, researchers and students from the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts.

The evening will also feature an excerpt from the recent PBS documentary Leonardo da Vinci that inspired the radio play, plus insights into this unique artistic process that merges human creativity with artificial intelligence.

Community Partners

Presented by Nebraska Public Media, Sheldon Museum of Art, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI at UNL) and the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts at UNL. A Speculative Devices and Cohab Labs co-production.

Plan Your Visit

• This event will have ASL interpretation, and all video content will have open captions.
• Admission to Sheldon is always free. Additional visit information and parking details.

Art & Technology Resources

• "A user’s guide to AI image generators"- Read this Current magazine article for an informative overview of generative A.I. image programs, along with visual comparisons of how each tool responds to image prompts.
• Pixels and Perspectives: The Intersection of AI and Art - Watch this short video from PBS member station WKAR that explores whether art generated by A.I. just another digital tool or danger to the art world.

Additional Leonardo da Vinci Resources

• Lesson Plans & Curriculum Resources on PBS LearningMedia (Grades 6-8, 9-12)
• Educators Engagement and Discussion Guide | Leonardo da Vinci
• Libraries, Museums and Community Organizations Engagement and Discussion Guide | Leonardo da Vinci

About the Film

Leonardo da Vinci
A film by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns & David McMahon

A 15th-century polymath of soaring imagination, Leonardo created some of history’s most revered works of art. Through his paintings and expansive writings, Leonardo da Vinci explores one of humankind’s most curious and innovative minds.

Leonardo da Vinci is available for streaming on PBS.org and the PBS app. Check the Nebraska Public Media schedule for any upcoming airtimes.

Past Events

Leonardo to AI: The Evolution of Art & Technology

Saturday, Nov. 9
Joslyn Art Museum

With generative artificial intelligence pushing the boundaries of what it means to create, what benefits are there for artists? And what guardrails might we need to put in place? During this event, we explored the evolution of art and technology from the Renaissance to today, featuring a panel discussion and a special sneak preview of the upcoming PBS documentary Leonardo da Vinci, directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon.

Featured panelists:

• Taylor J. Acosta, PhD, Chief Curator & Willis A. Strauss Curator of European Art at The Joslyn Art Museum
• Adrian R. Duran, PhD, Professor of Art History, School of the Arts, University of Nebraska Omaha
• Tim Guthrie, MFA, Joella Cohen Endowed Chair in Journalism and Professor and Program Director for Film, Department of Computer Science, Journalism and Film at Creighton University
• Genevieve Randall, Music Director and Classical Host, Nebraska Public Media (moderator)

Presented by Nebraska Public Media in partnership with The Joslyn Art Museum. The event also featured an Art & Technology Exhibition run by Metropolitan Community College STEM in the Fountain Court with hands-on activities that explored the intersection of digital art, artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR).

Sponsors

Thank you to Metro Gallery Nebraska for their local sponsorship of Leonardo da Vinci. Visit metrogallerylincoln.com to explore their collection and upcoming exhibits.

Corporate funding for Leonardo da Vinci was provided by Bank of America. Major funding was provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and by The Better Angels Society and by its individual members The Paul and Sandra Montrone Family; Stephen A. Schwarzman; Diane and Hal Brierley; Carol and Ned Spieker; Michael and Sandy Collins; Mario J. Gabelli; The Lynch Foundation; McCloskey Family Charitable Trust; Cappy and Janie McGarr; and John and Leslie McQuown. Funding was also provided by Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha Darling; the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; and the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation.