Join as the Arts Council of Moore County presents the Arts Lecture Series of Fall 2025! For many years, the Arts Council has presented art lectures that dive into art and the lives of the best artists in history, in addition to other artistically interesting topics. The lectures have focused on talented painters, sculptors, potters, architects and more.

Out of the Shadoes-Pulp Crime Novels, Film Noir, & the Paintings of Edward Hopper. When American painter Edward Hopper felt blocked as a painter he would devour pulp crime novels and private eye stories or spend entire days at the cinema watching film noir. Hopper was influenced by Hitchcock’s early film, Strangers on a Train, and in 1960, Hitchcock used Hopper’s 1925 painting, House by the Railroad, as the inspiration for the Bates mansion in Psycho. When Robert Siodmak directed the 1946 film, The Killers, he directly referenced Hopper’s Nighthawks (pictured above). The Killers captured the suspense of impending violence that never takes place. Hopper’s art seems cinematic in his ability to capture moments in between the action. Hopper never tells the whole story. He leaves that up to us. Join us as we explore the connection between Edward Hopper, pulp fiction, and film noir.

Lecturer: Ellen Burke is an arts educator with 37 years of experience as a studio art instructor and fine & performing arts administrator. In addition to teaching in Massachusetts, she was an adjunct instructor in art education at the New Hampshire Art Institute. Since moving to Pinehurst, she has presented art lectures at local galleries and teaches small group art lessons to children and adults.

Space is limited. Cost per lecture is $26 for Arts Council Members | $32 for Nonmembers. Reserve your seat now with full payment and your time choice at the Arts Council Galleries or by calling 910-692-2787. For more information, CLICK HERE.

Pair this lecture with the Sunrise Theater’s ART ON SCREEN: Hopper: An American Love Story on September 4, 2025 (2p & 7p). Discover the secrets behind the artist’s most iconic works and how he left a lasting impression on our culture. Tickets are $24 each. To purchase tickets, CLICK HERE.