Art Professor Emeritus Wayne Thiebaud, as part of UC Davis’ effort to connect medical students with the humanities, will give a talk on “The History of Painting” at 6 p.m. Friday (July 8) at the UC Davis Health System in Sacramento.

Thiebaud is an artist of international acclaim, known for his colorful paintings of landscapes, portraits and good-enough-to-eat desserts. Last week he donated four more of his works to the university and received the Chancellor’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Innovation.

His talk is among a series of Sacramento-area events organized by Faith Fitzgerald, professor of medicine, and assistant dean of Humanities and Bioethics, with support from the UC Office of the President. The monthly series will include lectures, music, theater and film, representing different cultural backgrounds.

Fitzgerald has a long-running mission of working with physicians in training to increase their awareness of the humanities, to help the students understand and comprehend the human side of illness. She is a proponent of providing patients and medical students with literature, art and poetry related to illness throughout the centuries, as a way of illustrating the commonality of the human experience with illness, fear and death. With this approach, she hopes to spark discussion between student and patient about what the patient may be experiencing.

The Thiebaud talk will be held in 1222 Education Building, 4610 X St. Pizza and soft drinks will be provided. RSVPs are requested by email.

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