Dr. Sarah Jones, art historian for the Missouri State Museum, will be the featured speaker at the October Landing After Hours program.
Jones will explore the history of the Taos Society of Artists and its contribution to the art of the Missouri Capitol. The program is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5.
Museum officials said the original Capitol Decoration Commission planned to use artwork to educate people about the resources and history of the state. They noted the lunette murals decorating the second floor are among the most direct representations of this goal.
Historians said St. Louis native Oscar E. Berninghaus and his colleagues of the Taos Society of Artists created many of the original lunettes. The commission chose the Taos artists due to their expertise in depicting American landscapes and scenes of Indigenous cultures -- two subjects that would be featured prominently in the lunette murals.
Landing After Hours programs are held at the Jefferson Landing State Historic Site, 100 Jefferson St. in Jefferson City. Parking is available in the lot next to the Lohman Building. For more information, call 573-751-2854. The program will also be livestreamed on the Missouri State Museum's Facebook page at facebook.com/MissouriStateMuseum.