The Sullivan Museum and History Center at Norwich University has opened a special exhibition Face to Face: An Exhibition of Portraiture from the University Collection. Portraits from the permanent collection were chosen to tell their stories. An opening reception was held with Allison Cerutti, pianist from Northfield and two flutists, Audrey Seaman, a Norwich freshman and member of the Core of Cadets from Lake George, New York and Amy Saxton, a junior from Dover, New Hampshire provided musical entertainment. The exhibition will be on display until August 1.

A series of Lunch and Learn programs is being held in the rotunda of the Museum from 12:00 to 1:00 as part of the Spring Program Series. Dr. Deborah Black and Dr. Michel Kabay and spoke on the topic of “Recognizing Faces” at the first Lunch and Learn meeting. Dr. Black, a neurologist practicing in the Central Vermont area, talked about the way the brain interprets the faces that it sees. Studies done in the 1950’s and 1960’s recognized the bond of familiarity formed between mother and child. The infants learned to mimic the expressions of the mother.

Dr. Kabay spoke as the scientist and mathematician that he is. He explained that in the 1960’s scientists “drew vertical and horizontal lines” on faces and used the measured intersection points to identify faces. Facial recognition technology has come a long way since the 1990’s. Smart cameras have been developed that work well in many cases.

He said that this is the wrong approach and fails in airports where the cameras are often used. He worries about the misuse of cell phone cameras. The photographs are being used to identify strangers who have posted a picture of themselves on Facebook. This is a frightening invasion of privacy.

The second Lunch and Learn was held on Tuesday, March 9th. The topic was, “Foreign Faces”, a study that tested how Norwich Cadets responded to the pictures of faces of Middle Easterners. The presenters were Dr. Kevin Fleming and Dr. Carole Bandy who are members of the Norwich psychology department. The study uses an eye tracking system that measures how the pupil of the eye reacts to unfamiliar faces. The pupil becomes larger when the person being tested perceives danger. The professors will be presenting a paper presenting their conclusions in the near future.

On March 10th, the third Lunch and Learn with Dr. Art Schaller, Dean of Art and Architecture at Norwich University. He spoke as an artist on “Assembling Faces.”

Dr. Schaller participated in a program held in New Harmony, Indiana where he developed a series of portraits done in collage. He explained how he assembled the materials, chose a color pallet and worked through the elements of design. The portrait is a postmodern interpretation of the person he chose to represent. The result is edgy but inviting with a little mystery. The work is then reproduced and framed for exhibit.

The next Lunch and Learn will be held on March 24 at Noon in the Rotunda of the Sullivan Museum. Naomi Tickle, a nationally known speaker and author will be the speaker. Her topic will be “Reading Faces. Contact the Museum for further information.