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Catalyst
Gertrude Stein in Circles
September 22, 2024 – March 2, 2025
George Peabody Library, Exhibit Gallery
Admission is free
Showcasing the Sheridan Libraries’ Robert A. Wilson Collection of rarely exhibited first editions, drafts, correspondence, photographs, and ephemera linked to Gertrude Stein (1874–1946), this new major exhibition documents how the pioneering American writer fostered avant-garde connections throughout her lifetime and explores Stein’s ongoing legacy as a beacon for artists, writers, and LGBTQ+ communities.
Explore Selected Items
Attend Exhibition Events
Gertrude Stein in Circles Exhibition Closing Event: Friends, Lovers, Rivals, and Comrades
March 2nd 2025 4:00 PM EST to 5:30 PM EST
Join us for the closing of Gertrude Stein in Circles: Spheres of Life and Writing with live music by Baltimore-based chamber ensemble Ann Street Trio and an illustrated talk by the exhibition curator, Gabrielle Dean, that will focus on the relationships that shaped Stein’s life and career. These include her family, the teachers who influenced her education as a scientist, the artists she befriended in Paris, her literary comrades and rivals, and her wife and ally Alice B. Toklas.
Past Events
Gertrude Stein's America: A Conversation with Phoebe Stein
November 20th 2024 6:00 PM EST to 7:30 PM EST
Gertrude Stein scholar and cousin Phoebe Stein will be joined by Gabrielle Dean, curator of Gertrude Stein in Circles: Spheres of Life and Writing, to discuss Stein’s geographically distant, but psychologically deep-rooted, relationship to her native United States. Advance registration requested on events.jhu.edu
Gertrude Stein in Circles exhibition tour
October 16th 2024 2:00 PM EDT to 3:00 PM EDT
Join exhibition curator Gabrielle Dean in Baltimore's "Cathedral of Books" for a tour of Gertrude Stein in Circles: Spheres of Life and Writing. Limited to 25 participants. Advance registration is required.
Lunch with the Libraries & Museums: Gertrude Stein in Circles virtual tour (recording)
October 9th 2024 12:00 PM EDT to 1:00 PM EDT
Watch a recording of this virtual talk by Stein scholar Gabrielle Dean about her exhibition Gertrude Stein in Circles: Spheres of Life and Writing. This is the perfect event for those who cannot travel to Baltimore to see the exhibition in person.
Gertrude Stein in Circles opening reception and concert
September 22nd 2024 2:00 PM EDT to 4:00 PM EDT
Join us for an opening celebration of Gertrude Stein in Circles: Spheres of Life and Writing, featuring light refreshments in the exhibit gallery followed by remarks and a concert of songs inspired by Stein's writings by her longtime collaborator Virgil Thomson and other American composers such as Ned Rorem and John Cage.
Dive Deeper
Gallery Guide
Related Reading
- The Stein Way, Johns Hopkins Hub (November 2024)Read the Story
- Seeing Robert Wilson Plain, Johns Hopkins Magazine (Winter 2018)
Read the Story - Robert Wilson In Memoriam, Johns Hopkins Hub (December 2016)
Read the Story
Singing Stein
Musical selections inspired by Stein’s writings composed by Virgil Thompson, John Cage, Ned Rorem, and others, from the Robert A. Wilson Collection of Gertrude Stein materials. Listen to the playlist
Curator’s Talk
Curator’s 40-Second Tour
Access the Collection
Most of the Robert A. Wilson Collection of Gertrude Stein Materials is open to researchers, and the finding aid to the collection is available online.
The collection includes first and significant later editions of Gertrude Stein’s books, many of them inscribed; books related to and about her; periodicals; letters; photographs; LPs; manuscripts and proofs. It is especially rich in materials that illustrate Stein’s legacy: souvenir objects, brochures, fliers, posters, and sheet music that document interpretations of Stein’s texts and works inspired by hers.
Organization
Organized by the Johns Hopkins University Sheridan Libraries and University Museums
The exhibition is curated by Gabrielle Dean, William Kurrelmeyer Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts, Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries and University Museums, and adjunct professor of English, Johns Hopkins Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.
Sponsors
Major support for the exhibition and accompanying gallery guide and programming has been provided by the Friends of the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries.