Works by one of the most famous French Impressionists and an Art Nouveau exhibition headline the 2025-26 season at The Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach.
“Edgar Degas, The Private Impressionist: Works on Paper by the Artist & His Circle” opens its season Nov. 15 through Feb. 1 in the Esther B. O’Keeffe Building. The exhibition features drawings, prints and other works by Degas and some of his closest colleagues. “Private Impressionist sheds light on the personalities of a complex man and the artists he called friends, revealing his eclecticism in both subject matter and experimentation with techniques,” Four Arts said in a statement.
It will be followed by the winter exhibition “Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art” from February 14th to April 4th. More than 120 paintings, sculptures, furniture and glass works from one of the largest art nouveau collections in the United States are coming to Four Arts.
The speakers will be announced this fall for the annual Esther B. O’Keeffe Speakers Series, Four Arts said. Last season’s lineup included former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, tennis greats Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, and American businessman and part-time Palm Beach resident Wilbur Ross.
The Four Arts will host special author performances on Wednesdays this season starting at 1:30pm with Nikki Erlick’s “The Poppy Fields” on November 12th. Author and playwright Joyce Carol Oates will be in conversation with author and artist Jonathan Santlofer at Four Arts on December 17. Stimson and the extraordinary cooperation that won World War II”. February 4
“Before the Race” by Edgar Degas is one of the pieces in the exhibit “Edgar Degas, The Private Impressionist: Works on Paper by the Artist & His Circle,” November 15-February 1 at the Esther B. O’Keeffe Building at The Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach.
The Sanda and Jeremiah Lambert concert series is selected on Wednesdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 3:00 pm in the Walter S. Gubelmann Auditorium. The series kicks off with Canadian Brass’ “Making Spirits Bright” celebratory concert on December 3 at 7:30 p.m. The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will perform Bach’s “Brandenburg Concertos” at 3:00 pm on December 7th.
Louis Ernes Lessieux’s “Rose and Thistle” is included in the exhibition “The Triumph of Nature: Art Nouveau from the Chrysler Museum of Art” from February 14 to April 4 at The Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach.
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will perform Bach’s “Brandenburg Concertos” at 3 p.m., Dec. 7 at The Society of the Four Ars in Palm Beach.
The Palm Beach Atlantic University Chamber Choir’s popular, family-friendly annual “Carols on the Lawn” is at 4:10 p.m., Dec. 14, at the Philip Hulitar Sculpture Garden. The Lambert Concert Series continues with Angel Blue and Bryan Wagorn on January 11th and pianist Paul Lewis on January 14th. The Brentano String Quartet will perform on January 21.
The chamber music society will present an interactive children’s concert “How Suite It Is” at 14:00 on February 7, and the Danish string quartet will perform selections from Mozart, Stravinsky and Beethoven on February 25.
More live music performances: pianist Louis Lortie on March 15, bluegrass fiddler Michael Cleveland on April 12 and the Shanghai Quartet on April 15. The series will conclude with a jazz performance from the Lincoln Center Orchestra, joined by trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis on April 22.
The Brentano String Quartet will perform Jan. 21 as part of the Lambert Concert Series at The Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach.
The Lambert Concert Series also includes the “America at 250” festival, a series of performances by the Chamber Society of Lincoln Center to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The festival begins with “America at 250” I on February 1st, “America at 250” II on February 4th and “America at 250” III on February 8th. The concerts include various musical styles and works, Four Arts said.
The Four Arts will present a live performance of “Dance Fantasy” by Fred Astaire Dance Studio on January 4th and “The Art of Partnering” by New York City Ballet on March 4th.
The high-definition screenings of operas, plays and films that were performed earlier this year include 14.12. at 2 p.m. family-friendly performance “The Nutcracker” performed by the Ukrainian National Opera Ballet Group.
On April 18, The Society of the Four Arts will perform Guiseppe Verdi’s “La Traviata” at The Met in New York.
Performances at The Met in New York and broadcast in high definition at Four Arts this season include Giacomo Puccini’s “La Bohème” on Nov. 15; “Arabella” by Richard Strauss on November 22; Umberto Giordano’s “Andrea Chénier” on Dec. 13; Vincenzo Bellini’s “I Puritani” on January 10; Gioachino Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” on January 17; Strauss’ “Salome” on Jan. 31; and “Cinderella” by Jules Massenet and an abridged English translation by Kelley Rourke on March 7. Richard Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” is March 21, Bellini’s “La Sonnambula” is April 11, and Guiseppe Verdi’s “La Traviata” is April 18.
Previously recorded National Theater Live screenings begin with ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ starring Gillian Anderson and Vanessa Kirby on January 24, followed by ‘Inter Alia’ starring Rosamund Pike on February 28.
On November 22, The Society of the Four Arts will show Richard Strauss’s “Arabella” presented by The Met in New York.
The Exhibition on Screen program, which features artworks by renowned artists as well as presentations about their lives and work, opens on December 6th with “Caravaggio” followed by “Degas: Passion for Perfection” on January 3rd. The Turner & Constable show is on March 14th and “Tokyo Stories” is on April 4th.
Friday film series screenings at 2 and 5:30 pm in Gubelmann Auditorium. The series begins with “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” on December 5; then “Wicked Little Letters” on Dec. 12; “Chevalier” on December 19; “Mrs. Henderson Presents” Jan. 2; “Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes” Jan. 9; “Food Inc. 2” on Jan. 23; “Promised Land” Jan. 30; “McQueen” on February 27; “My Sailor, My Love” on March 13; “September 5” March 20; “My Penguin Friend” on April 3; and “Lee” on April 10.
Previously recorded National Theater Live performances begin with “A Streetcar Named Desire,” starring Gillian Anderson and Vanessa Kirby on Jan. 24 at The Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach.
As part of Four Arts’ “America at 250” celebration, a special performance of the Tony Award-winning musical “1776” will be presented at 2 p.m. on February 14. There will be a screening and discussion of the documentary “We Hold These Truths: The Global Quest for Liberty” on Federal Judge Douglas Ginsburg on March 2.
This season’s Beyer Artist-in-Residence is Louise Sartor, a French painter known for her intimate portraits and brightly colored landscapes. He will give the lecture “To Paint is Care Enough to Stay” in conversation with art historian Lacy Davisson on January 5. He is also hosting a series of workshops on using digital tools to create art on January 7th, 9th, 12th and 14th.
The Tomorrow’s Breakthroughs Today Scientific Symposium Series, presented by the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation in partnership with Heidi and Tom McWilliams, kicks off the season at Four Arts with Roberta Diaz Brinton on November 19 to discuss “Revitalizing the Aging Brain.” Dr. Joel Braunstein’s presentation “How Blood Tests Are Transforming Alzheimer’s Patient Care” is on January 28th and Danielle Graham will present “Advancing Biomarkers, Facilitating Alzheimer’s Breakthroughs” on March 30th.
The Creating Legacies series at the Dixon Education Building looks at maintaining a family business, building an art collection, and growing philanthropy. Nicholas Gitton will perform “This is not a Museum: A History on the Fondation Maeght” on January 7th and Kathy Connor with “Turning Silver Into Gold” on April 1st. The series ends on April 13 with Axel Rüger’s talk about The Frick Collection in New York.
The Creating a Nation speaker series is selected for the season on Mondays at 3 pm in Gubelmann Auditorium. It begins Jan. 12 with Rick Atkinson discussing his book, “The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780.” He will be followed by Jeffrey Rosen, who will present his book “The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America” on the 9th. February. Doug Bradburn will present “Why George Washington Matters Now More Than Ever” on March 4, and Danielle Allen will discuss “The Declaration of Classical on March 1.”
The Four Arts has a busy lecture schedule this term. For a complete schedule, visit fourarts.org. Highlights: Architect and Palm Beach resident Miguel Rosales will discuss the art of bridges on December 1st, and locals Kim Frisbie and Bruce Helander will discuss creating a sustainable South Florida garden on December 3rd. Richard René Silvin will detail the history and heritage of Mar-a-Lago on December 10. Senses” on April 7.
Carlton Ward Jr. and Ronan Donovan, National Geographic explorers and photographers, will discuss the importance of wildlife corridors on April 9.
Garden Club of Palm Beach’s season lineup for the Four Arts includes the group’s annual Christmas Boutique and Plant Sale on the 13th-14th. November and House and Garden Day Boutique on March 1.
The Garden Club’s annual speaker is Aerin Lauder, a Palm Beach mainstay, who will discuss her book “Living with Flowers” on February 5.
The Florida Voices author series kicks off with Clay Henderson’s “Audubon’s Birds of Florida” on October 22nd, followed by Martha Hall Kelly’s “The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club” on January 21st. On March 4, local author Julie Gilbert presents her book, “Giant Love: Edna Ferber, The Film of Texas and Novel of Texas, Her Best-Sell.” The series continues with Annabel Monaghan’s “It’s A Love Story” before ending with Palm Beach resident Deborah Goodrich Royce’s fourth novel, “Best Boy.”
The Society of the Four Arts is located at 100 Four Arts Plaza, Palm Beach. For more information, including a complete schedule, visit fourarts.org or call 561-655-7227.
Kristina Webb is a reporter for the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at [email protected]. Subscribe today to support our journalism.
This article originally appeared in the Palm Beach Daily News: Complete lineup released for Society of the Four Arts 2025-26 season