Life/Local Series at Bryn Du

The Bryn Du Mansion schedules and presents Life/Local, a series of wide-ranging lectures and events available to the community throughout the year. Be sure to check the Events Calendar for any upcoming Life/Local programs.

Life/Local is dedicated to bringing information, events and sometimes just plain fun to Granville and the larger community of Licking County. Life/Local hopes to create an interactive and enlarging experience for all participants, while utilizing one of Granville’s most lovely resources; the house, facilities and grounds of the Bryn Du Mansion.

All programs held at the Bryn Du Mansion, 537 Jones Road.

Bryn Du’s Life/Local Series

Ken Bork earthquake lecture at Bryn Du Mansion

With recent earthquakes in Haiti, California and even Illinois, interest in the phenomenon probably registers a 7.5 on the Richter scale. Ken Bork, professor emeritus of geology at Denison University, will deliver a lecture titled “When Terra is not so Firma—Living with Earthquakes on a Dynamic Planet,” at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23, in the Bryn Du Mansion (537 Jones Road). The lecture is free and open to the public.

Bork is a geologist of wide-ranging interests. He is a paleontologist, stratigrapher and historian of Denison alumnus Kirtley Mather, the very same who named Mt. Denison in Alaska. Bork received many awards during his tenure at Denison including the Neil Miner Award and the History of Geology Award by the Geology Society of America (GSA) and the Teaching Excellence Award from Denison. He is also the author of “Cracking Rocks and Defending Democracy.”

Life/Local is dedicated to bringing information, events and sometimes just plain fun to Granville and the larger community of Licking County. Life/Local hopes to create an interactive and enlarging experience for all participants, while utilizing one of Granville’s most lovely resources; the house, facilities and grounds of the Bryn Du Mansion.

History of Santa Claus at the Bryn Du Mansion

GRANVILLE—Santa Claus, a symbol of charity derived from the Saint Nickolas of the sixth century, has filled childhood dreams for years. Joy Sperling, associate professor of art history at Denison, will discus the “History of Santa Claus in the American Imagination” at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 8, at the Bryn Du Mansion (537 Jones Road). The lecture is free and open to the community.

Sperling asks us, “Do you remember the night before Christmas when you were a child? Remember the excitement, the anticipation and the thrill, the possibility of catching a glimpse of Santa, or the exquisite anticipation of finding gifts from him in your stocking or under the tree? How has Santa managed to inhabit the popular imagination of so many people?” She continues, “This talk traces the history of Santa Claus in the American imagination and asks, not ‘if’ there is a Santa Claus, because that is a given, but “how” and “why” he is significant to American popular culture.”

Sperling specializes in art history, particularly Modern art and the History of Photography. She has published in the areas of 19th century American and British art, Modern art, and Postmodern art. She has two current book projects: The Enchanting of the Enchanted Land: the Visual Culture of Tourism in the Southwest in the 1930s, and The Paper Currency of Art: The Art Union in The United Kingdom and the United States.

A Community Cookie Exchange will be held at 7:30, Tuesday, Dec. 15 at the Bryn Du Mansion. Bring four dozen cookies to share (extras for nibbling are welcome), and leave with an assortment for your holiday table.

Life/Local is dedicated to bringing information, events and sometimes just plain fun to Granville and the larger community of Licking County. Life/Local hopes to create an interactive and enlarging experience for all participants, while utilizing one of Granville’s most lovely resources; the house, facilities and grounds of the Bryn Du Mansion. Lectures may occasionally be cancelled due to inclement weather. Visit the Bryn Du website for cancellation information.

Bryn Du Mansion’s Life/Local Series Explores Historic Preservation in March

The Bryn Du Mansion Life/Local series will examine historic preservation in a series of three lectures in March. The first lecture will feature Nancy Recchie and Jeff Darbee at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, March 16, at the Bryn Du Mansion (537 Jones Road). The lecture is free and open to the community.

Recchie has 32 years of experience working full-time in historic preservation.  She has worked in all aspects of the field, including work with community organizations, volunteers, neighborhood groups and public officials in many Ohio communities and in other states. Darbee began his historic preservation career when he joined the staff of the Ohio Historic Preservation Office, Ohio Historical Society, in early 1974.  In his positions as Historian and Grants Manager he worked in all phases of preservation. His work with grant projects and other historic structures gave him wide familiarity with historic architecture and training in the special needs of older buildings.

The husband and wife team began Benjamin D. Rickey & Co., a consulting firm specializing in historic preservation.  A significant part of the company's work has been in certification of rehabilitation projects for use of the Historic Preservation Tax Credit. One of the firm’s specialties is serving as preservation consultants on major public building projects such as the Ohio Statehouse, Ohio Stadium at the Ohio State University, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.

Darbee and Recchie will discuss how historic preservation has changed over the more than 30 years that they have been working and why they think Granville is a community that really demonstrates the best practices in terms of preservation. They will include a few photos of the Sinnett House move, which was a very exciting undertaking for the community.

Life-Local series lecture “Frank Packard, Architect, in Granville and Central Ohio,” featuring Tony Lisska, professor of history at Denison University, at 7:30 p.m. on Tues., March 24, at the Bryn Du Mansion (537 Jones Road). Free and open to the public.

Life-Local series lecture “Newark Earthworks,” featuring Richard Shiels, associate professor of history at Ohio State University-Newark at 7:30 p.m. on Tues., March 31, at the Bryn Du Mansion (537 Jones Road). Free and open to the public.

Simply Living Series
Simply Living is made possible by generous support of Wider View Garden Design, a local fine gardening firm established by Debi Walker, ASLA.

Life/Local premieres with a three-week lecture forum presented by members of Simply Living, an organization based in Central Ohio. All lectures in this series will be at the Bryn Du Mansion and are free and open to the community. Simply Living “supports individuals, families and organizations in creating a more compassionate and sustainable world by offering learning opportunities which promote personal and civic responsibility, informed action and wholeness.” You can learn more about Simply Living by visiting their website at www.simplyliving.org.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 7:30pm
Presented Michael Shearer, managing editor of the Newark Advocate on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the Bryn Du Mansion (537 Jones Road). The lecture is free and open to the community.

Your Local Parks

Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 7:30pm
Brian Bishop, parks officer for the Ohio Department of National Resources division of Parks and Recreation, will speak. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Bishop, a Granville resident for 23 years, has worked as a parks officer since 1986. He has been stationed at Dillon State Park and others in central Ohio. Bishop will discuss economical recreation opportunities such as hiking, picnicking, swimming, biking and naturalist programs available at Ohio State Parks that are within a short drive of Granville. Park maps and many other brochures will be available.