In today’s special Episode 2 of GetPublished! I’ll take you on a field trip to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art – LACMA. It’s behind the scenes at an after-hours closed session of the American Art Council. I’m giving a talk on the scandal behind Julius Stewart’s painting The Baptism, which is the basis for my sixth novel, Bonfire of the Vanderbilts.
You’ll find pictures mentioned here on our blog Gerald’s Page at getpublished dot guru. They’re also in the book. I gave the presentation standing in front of the painting.
Now, why am I taking you here? One of our mantras on GetPublished! Radio is that no one is stopping you. I don’t have a degree in art history – I’m just an enthusiastic researcher. But if I had waited for scholars in this field to bless my results or for a mainstream publisher to vet the project – it probably would never have happened. But as it was, I self-published in paperback, ebook, and audiobook.
As you listen, realize that even now the museum doesn’t necessarily agree with all my findings. But they were impressed enough to invite me to speak behind closed doors to this influential group.
