After the 2008 economic collapse, Financial Times columnist Andrew Hill wondered, "Where's John Ruskin when we need him?" For a growing number of people, the ideals of Ruskin and his most famous student, William Morris, seem to offer vital and wise guidance as we face our many current crises. For Morris, Ruskin had identified "a new road on which the world should travel"—a vision needed now more than ever.

Following on the success of last year's symposium "'No Wealth But Life': Why John Ruskin Matters Today," the Berkeley Hillside Club Round Table and The Guild of St. George this year explore Morris as well as Ruskin, focusing on three themes both men saw as intimately interwoven and foundational to human life and to civilization: nature, work and architecture. This day-long event will feature a keynote address by Clive Wilmer, Master of the Guild of St George, the community founded by Ruskin in 1872 with the aim of making "some small piece of English ground beautiful, peaceful and fruitful," and an example for the world.

Please join us in what promises to be an inspiring and illuminating day.

SPEAKERS

Keynote by Clive Wilmer, Cambridge University, and Master of the Guild of St. George

‘A new road on which the world should travel’: John Ruskin, ‘The Nature of Gothic’ and William Morris

Gray Brechin (University of California, Berkeley)

“Bright Morning in the Far West: The Reverend Joseph Worcester's Bay Area Circle”

Sara Atwood (The Guild of St. George)

“‘A veil of strange intermediate being’: Ruskin and Environment.”

Jim Spates (The Guild of St. George)

 “‘All of Us are Builders’: The Enduring Relevance of Ruskin’s Seven Lamps of Architecture in the 21st Century, an Illustrated Talk.”

John Iles (The Guild of St. George)

"Down in the woods something stirs......."

Tim Holton (Holton Studio Frame-Makers, The Hillside Club, The Guild of St. George)

"The Joiners’ Tale: A Craftsman's Window on Ruskin and Morris."

You may download the pamphlet for this event and recordings of the individual talks by clicking the down-arrow to the right of the file names below.

Did you attend this event or listen to the recordings? We'd like to hear what you think!
Please send your comments to Round Table organizer, Tim Holton at:  tim@holtonframes.com