Art enthusiasts will be smiling brighter than the Mona Lisa as they gather to celebrate the anniversary and legacy of the famous painter.
This Friday, the Florida Museum of Natural History and Creative B, a summer program for UF students, will continue a series of free screenings to showcase films that incorporate aspects of Leonardo da Vinci’s career.
Da Vinci contributed countless concepts and pieces to the art community throughout his career, such as the “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper,” which is why the museum is commemorating the 500th anniversary of his death with the films and a discussion.
The event will begin at 7 p.m. with a panel consisting of Florida Museum exhibit designer Ian Breheny, special effects expert Tim Lawrence, UF Liberal Arts and Sciences associate professor Terry Harpold and UF honors program director Mark Law. The discussion will also be live streamed online.
The Creative B summer program began in 2010 for UF students to consolidate the collective resources and talents of the many creative programs at the university, including cultural performances and interdisciplinary activities.
The Creative B website lists this year’s partners as UF’s Center for Arts in Medicine, Center for Undergraduate Research, College of the Arts, the FLMNH and the Harn Museum of Art.
A listing for all of their events is available on their website.
“I attended the Creative B movie series event on July 5,” said 19-year-old UF sociology sophomore Riley Kearney. “ ‘Ever After: A Cinderella Story’ accompanied with the discussion panel is much more engaging than going to a movie theater.”
Friday’s discussion will be followed by the screening of “Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines.” Later weeks in the film series will include “Fantastic Voyage” and “Mr. Peabody & Sherman,” both of which allude to Da Vinci in parts of the movie.
The museum exhibits will extend their hours until 10 p.m. excluding the Crocs, Discovery Zone and Butterfly Rainforest.