Da Vinci talk at CSMA Da Vinci talk at CSMA (March 12, 2004)

By Julie O'Shea

"The Da Vinci Code," Dan Brown's addictive, page-turning bestseller, has created quite a stir in the literary world, the craze nearly catapulting the famous Renaissance artist to rock-star status.

But you won't have to make a pilgrimage to the Louvre to examine his works of art. Da Vinci's Mona Lisa will likely be making an appearance -- in slide show format -- during a special lecture at the Community School of Music and Arts on March 19.

William Fredlund, a Mountain View resident and the director of the Institute for the Study of Western Civilization in Cupertino, will be the evening's lecturer.

While "The Da Vinci Code" will no doubt be on everyone's mind, Fredlund warns that the novel, which weaves together an intricate tale of art symbols, secret societies and the mystery of the Holy Grail, won't be the theme of his talk.

Instead, Fredlund said he will focus on another intricate tale -- the life of Leonardo Da Vinci himself.

"He's so central to the Renaissance, you have to care about him," Fredlund said of the artist. Fredlund has taught at Stanford, U.C. Santa Cruz and the University of Florence.

The talk, part of CSMA's visual arts lectures series, will take place from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on March 19 in CSMA's new 200-seat concert hall at 230 San Antonio Circle in Mountain View.

Seating is limited. General admission is $10. Student and senior admission is $8. Advance ticket purchase is available at www.arts4all.org or at CSMA's registration office. Same-day purchase will be available at the door one hour prior to the start of the lecture. For more information, call 917-6800.

E-mail Julie O'Shea at joshea@mv-voice.com

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