Date: March 23, 2009
Contact: Kyle Patterson, 970-586-1363
2009 Lyceum Series - Celebrate our Natural World: Artists Who Are Inspired by the Environment
Saturday, March 28, 7:00 p.m. - Isabella Bird, Rocky Mountain Adventurer and Victorian World Traveler
Join us Saturday night as a time traveler comes back to Rocky Mountain National Park. Ranger Jean Muenchrath will portray Isabella Bird as she addresses the November 1892 meeting of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in London. Bird's appreciation and descriptions of far away environments are grand examples of the natural world inspiring literature.
Throughout her life, Englishwoman Isabella Bird suffered from numerous serious health problems. She began traveling at age 41 on her doctor’s advice to seek “a change of air” for her health. In 1873, while visiting the Colorado Rockies, she was one of the first women to climb Longs Peak. She traveled alone, often hiring a local guide, to Colorado, Canada, Hawaii, California, New York, Massachusetts, as well as Japan, the Middle East, India, present-day Pakistan, Tibet, China and Korea.
Her numerous travel books were popular during her era and continue to inspire modern adventurers. Her book, A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains, contributed to a growing appreciation of natural beauty. She was in the company of early writers, artists, and adventurers who contributed to the conservation movement which influenced the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park in 1915.
The theme of the 2009 Lyceum Series is “Celebrate our Natural World: Artists Who Are Inspired by the Environment.” This year’s series has a cultural focus. The presentations will highlight how the natural world influences and inspires artists. Artists of all types: singers, musicians, painters, sculptors, woodcarvers, performance artists, writers, quilters and photographers will be involved in this year’s Lyceum.
The Lyceum schedule runs from January 17 to May 16, 2009. Financial support for the lyceum series is provided by the park’s nonprofit partner, the Rocky Mountain Nature Association. Programs are free and open to the public. They are held at 7:00 p.m. at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center auditorium in Rocky Mountain National Park. For more information about Rocky Mountain National Park please call (970) 586-1206.
