Anniversary Events

Splashing Around

5:30pm on 2 September
Tower Building, University of Dundee D'Arcy Thompson Lecture Theatre Tower Building University of Dundee Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN

Themes from D'Arcy Thompson in the Visual Arts’. An incredibly rich series of Thompsonish motifs run through art, architecture and engineering from the 1930s to the present day. Some reflect a direct knowledge of his writings, while others are more indirect. This lecture by the internationally renowned art historian Professor Martin Kemp will sample the diversity of these motifs. The people involved range from the notorious dripper Jackson Pollock to the engineer Cecil Balmond of Ove Arup. The lecture takes place (appropriately) in the D'Arcy Thompson Lecture Theatre in the Tower Building, University of Dundee at 5.30pm. All are welcome and there is no need to book.

Sketching the Universe

from 3 September
Lamb Gallery, University of Dundee Lamb Gallery Faculty of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design University of Dundee 13 Perth Road Dundee DD1 4HT

A new exhibition in the Lamb Gallery of artistic responses to D’Arcy Thompson. From major figures of 20th-century modernism such as Henry Moore, Richard Hamilton and Eduardo Paolozzi to today’s students at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, the exhibition covers a wide range of media and styles, all linked by D’Arcy’s writings and collections. Accompanying this in the Tower Foyer Gallery will be an exhibition of drawings, paintings and prints by the celebrated abstract artist Wilhelmina Barns-Graham which reveal the influence of D’Arcy Thompson’s classic book On Growth & Form on her work. While many of her contemporaries in the 1930s, 40s and 50s were also drawing on D’Arcy’s work for inspiration, Barns-Graham (born in St Andrews) was the only one who actually met the great man. The material in the exhibition is being kindly loaned to us by the Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust.

Town & Gown - celebrating D'Arcy Thompson

2pm on 3 September
Bell Pettigrew Museum, University of St Andrews Bell Pettigrew Musuem Bute Building University of St Andrews St Andrews Fife KY16 9TS

Afternoon public lectures on D'Arcy's ongoing relevance to academic areas as diverse as biology, methematics, classics, and the arts, followed buffet with music and an appreciation of D'Arcy the man. Everyone welcome! The full programme is available at www.darcythompson.org

The birth of an idea

10am on 4 September
Thackray Museum Beckett Street Leeds LS9 7LN

The Friends of the Thackray Museum would like to invite you to the museum on Saturday 4th September 2010 for a summer lecture. Dr Kersten Hall, Centre for History and Philosophy of Science, University of Leeds will be giving a lecture entitled 'The Astbury Legacy'. The talk explores the work of William Astbury, and his discovery of DNA. The double helix mechanism proved to be the key to understanding genetics and also cancer formation or carcinogenesis. It can be used to explain how radiotherapy works on cancer and is the key to future development of anti-cancer drugs. Dr Robert Newton, Reader in Clinical Epidemiology and Honorary Consultant in Public Health Medicine, Hull York Medical School will be giving a talk on 'Infections and Cancer - a brief History'. The talk looks at causative agents of human cancers, such as viral, bacterial and parasitic worm infestation and also explores the potential for cancer prevention.The first human tumour virus was isolated in 1964 and since then many new infections have been identified and their control or elimination (by vaccination for example) hold great promise for cancer prevention. The cost is £11 per person (£10 concession for Friends of Thackray Museum, pensioners and students). Refreshments will be served during the break, and those attending the lectures are welcome to visit the museum free of charge on the day of the lecture. If you require any further information, or for details on how to book, please call Rachel on; (0113) 205 6526 or (0113) 244 4343

Conference: Sketching the Universe

all day on 4 September
University of Dundee Museum of Zoology University of Dundee Dundee DD1 4HN

The University of Dundee will be hosting a one-day conference exploring the contemporary legacy of D’Arcy’s work, in fields as diverse as biology, mathematics, art, anthropology, engineering, geography and ecology. There will also be a performance by Creative Writing tutor Jim Stewart of his new poem about D’Arcy and there will be a reception in the D’Arcy Thompson Zoology Museum. Attendance at the conference is free but booking is essential. A full programme will be issued shortly – in the meantime please contact museum@dundee.ac.uk or 01382 384310 for details.

Could Saturn's moons support life?

7pm on 7 September
Codsall Library South Staffordshire District Council Offices, Wolverhampton Road, Codsall, South Staffordshire, WV8 1PX

A lecture by Dr Leah-Nani Alconcel at Codsall Library, Staffs. The talk is free booking is essential, tel 01902 842 764.

Orkney and the Royal Society - The John D Mackay memorial lecture

5:15pm on 8 September
King Street Hall Kirkwall East Church King Street Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1JF

Amongst the Fellows of the Royal Society, in its 350 years, have been several Orcadians, including the mapmaker Murdoch Mackenzie and the Arctic explorer John Rae. Dr Peter Collins, Director of the Society’s Centre for the History of Science, tells of these and other Orcadians whose names have been found in the Society’s archives – among them James Copland, born in Deerness in 1791 and author of a dictionary of medicine, and geologist Sir John Flett, born in Kirkwall in 1869. Part of the Orkney Science Festival.

Sir Jonas Moore visits Towneley Hall

all day on 10 September
Towneley Hall Towneley Hall, Towneley Park, Burnley BB11 3RQ.

Sir Jonas Moore, vice president of the Royal Society, will tell Richard Towneley all the latest philosophical news from 17th century London and the Towneley family will make sure he has something good for his supper! After each re-enactment the cast will stay around to talk to visitors about the Towneley family and the Jonas Moore connections with Towneley. Re-enactments will take place at 1pm & 3pm.

Sir Jonas Moore visits Towneley Hall

all day on 10 September
Towneley Hall Towneley Hall, Towneley Park, Burnley BB11 3RQ.

How William Astbury’s X-Ray Vision Changed the World- Gallery talk

2pm on 10 September
Thackray Museum Beckett Street Leeds LS9 7LN

If you want to find out more about this exhibition, Jim Garretts, the museum’s Senior Curator, will be giving a talk about the exhibition, highlighting some of the interesting facts about William Astbury and his work that didn’t make it into the ‘final exhibition cut’, forming a lively, engaging and interesting supplement to the information already on view.