Sitting with the Sublime: Art as Spiritual Practice
Think Olio is an ongoing experiment in lifelong learning.
We are a community of open-minded people who gather to exchange ideas with new friends and connect over art, literature, and philosophy.
What is an Olio?
An Olio is what we call the social learning events that we’ve been organizing since 2015.
Not quite a lecture and not quite an open discussion, an Olio is an interactive and intimate conversation led by a teacher who loves sharing their passions.
Our goal is to foster a change in perspective, ignite the desire to learn more, and enjoy ourselves socially—an alternative to the typical nightlife options.
Sitting with the Sublime: Art as Spiritual Practice
Why do certain works of art stop us in our tracks—leaving us breathless, unsettled, or strangely at peace?
From Romantic landscapes to contemporary painting, artists have used the sublime to open portals to something beyond the everyday.
In this Olio, we’ll consider how the very act of making—or engaging with—art can function like meditation, prayer, or ritual: a practice of heightened awareness that draws us toward transcendence.
We’ll explore questions such as:
How does art create experiences of vastness, stillness, or awe?
What role does the artist play—as philosopher, mystic, or witness—in channeling these experiences?
How can we understand painting, music, or film as forms of secular mysticism in a fragmented age?
Participants will be invited to reflect on their own encounters with the sublime—in museums, nature, or the studio—and to consider how creativity itself can serve as a resource for resilience, meaning, and wonder.
Our Teacher for the Evening:
Michael Prettyman is a contemporary artist and scholar of comparative religion whose work bridges painting, spirituality, and philosophy. Trained in classical drawing, painting, and sculpture in New York and Nepal, he combines representational art with insights from Tibetan Buddhist practice and esoteric traditions. His murals can be seen at the American Museum of Natural History, the New York Botanical Gardens, and the Bronx Zoo. Michael teaches Religion and the Visual Arts at Hunter College and lectures widely on creativity, mysticism, and the divine. He lives and works in New York City.
Logistics
7:00pm – Doors open, so settle in, grab a drink, and meet a friend.
7:30pm – The Olio will kick off, and we'll be immersed in an intimate and interactive lecture for the next hour.
8:30pm – Instead of the traditional Q&A, we create a social experience for the last half hour or so, allowing you to discuss burning questions with others in the room. The professor will often join in and float around to the different groups.
The Olio Lighthouse
The Lighthouse is a third space to be in the company of people who seek to actively question and intentionally affect the world around them in positive ways. Welcome!
*Cover art by Michael Prettyman
Please note: unfortunately, we are not ADA accessible, as our venue is on the second floor without elevator access.