Abbey Professor to Explore the Feminine Side of Italian Art — Dr. Abbondanza de la Motte Scheduled Lecturer for The Bradley Institute

BELMONT, NC —- A picture is worth a thousand words.

In many cases, art will not only tell a story, but it can also be a reflection of our society – its struggles, beliefs, our hopes and can even give a glimpse into our future.

Belmont Abbey College’s Dr. Karen Abbondanza de la Motte will discuss the topic, “Bella Donna: Images of Women in Italian Art” for The Bradley Institute for the Study of Christian Culture on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 at 7:30 PM in the Student Commons at Belmont Abbey College. Admission is free, but reservations are required.

For more information or to make a reservation, contact the Bradley Institute at (704) 829-7231 or email at events@bradleyinstitute.org.

A graduate of Smith College, Dr. de la Motte earned her A.B. in History in 1979, and later received a Master’s in Italian from Middlebury College, and a doctorate in Italian Literature from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

A faculty member at Belmont Abbey College for the last five years, Dr. de la Motte serves as director of the First-Year Symposium and teaches a course in art history at the Abbey. She has recently lectured at the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte on the exhibit, Renaissance to Rococo: Masterpieces from the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art.

Dr. de la Motte also serves as a manuscript consultant for McGraw Hill, and has served as a manuscript reviewer and consultant for Houghton-Mifflin and Holt, Rinehart and Winston Publishers.

The Bradley Institute for the Study of Christian Culture at Belmont Abbey College was founded in 1996 by its director, Dr. Robert A. Preston. Dr. Preston had served Belmont Abbey College as its 13th president for six years until his retirement in 2001.

The Bradley Institute provides opportunities for business executives, career professionals and clergy to examine relevant ethical, theological and philosophical topics within the context of their modern lives. Program topics range from business, legal and medical ethics to history and philosophy.

The Institute is named for The Reverend John P. Bradley, former president of Belmont Abbey College and former CEO and chairman of the board of Good Will Publishers of Charlotte, North Carolina. The Bradley Institute, in cooperation with the Ingersoll Foundation, presents the annual Ingersoll Prize.

Ranked one of the best comprehensive colleges in the Southeast by U.S. News and World Report and The Princeton Review, Belmont Abbey College celebrates excellence and virtue steeped in its 129-year Catholic Benedictine heritage. The liberal arts College is home to students from over 28 states and 11 countries and welcomes everyone from any background or tradition committed to this vision of excellence and virtue. The campus consists of the College, the Monastery and the Abbey Basilica, which can be found on its sprawling 650 acres of picturesque landscape.

Just minutes from Charlotte, NC, the nation’s second largest banking center, Belmont Abbey College offers students numerous internship opportunities and career placement.

The College believes in development of the whole person – mind, body and spirit. By offering a wide array of clubs and activities including Division II athletics, theatre, publications, and study abroad, Belmont Abbey College invests in the personal growth of its students.

Founded in 1876, the College celebrates its heritage and is inspired by the Benedictine monastic tradition. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the College and Abbey Basilica greet thousands of visitors each year.

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