Moses Ezekiel Art Expert to Speak at VMI

Virginia Military Institute welcomes guest speaker Dr. Samantha Baskind, distinguished professor of art history at Cleveland State University, for a lecture titled, “Moses Jacob Ezekiel: VMI’s Soldier and Sculptor,” Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. in Gillis Theater, Marshall Hall. A reception preceding the lecture will be held in the Hall of Valor at 7 p.m. Both the reception and lecture are free and open to the public.  

Moses Jacob Ezekiel lived from 1844 to 1917 and was the first Jewish cadet to attend VMI. He rose to international fame as one of the most celebrated American sculptors of his era. Working from his studio in Rome for nearly four decades, he earned commissions and honors on both sides of the Atlantic. Baskind’s lecture will look at his diverse body of work, including sculptures at VMI, the largest repository of his art in the world. 

 
Baskind specializes in Jewish American art and visual culture and has authored six books, most recently, “Moses Jacob Ezekiel: Jewish, Confederate, Expatriate Sculptor.”  

The event is sponsored by the Department of English, Rhetoric, and Humanistic Studies; the VMI Museum; and the Dean’s Academic Speakers Program. 

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