Society of the Four Arts speaker series to include Baier, Rove, Ballard and more

The Society of the Four Arts has announced the highly anticipated lineup for this season's Esther B. O'Keeffe Speakers Series.

The slate of lectures includes experts across a range of subjects from deep-sea exploration to current events. Lectures begin at 3 p.m. with doors opening at 2 p.m. each Tuesday starting Jan. 2 and ending in March, in the Walter S. Gubelmann Auditorium at the Four Arts' Esther B. O'Keeffe Building, 102 Four Arts Plaza.

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Reservations begin later this month. Tickets are free for members and $50 for non-members, and go on sale at 10 a.m. the Wednesday before each lecture.

Jan. 2: Bret Baier, "Washington and the World"

Baier, the Fox News host and journalist, will present a behind-the-scenes look at his hit show, "Special Report with Bret Baier." He will highlight some of the key figures who have appeared "Special Report" through the years, then discuss current events heading into the busy 2024 election cycle.

Jan. 9: Andrew Roberts and Gen. David Petraeus, "Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine"

Roberts and Petraeus will discuss their new book "Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine." Petraeus, a returning speaker at the Four Arts, is a decorated general who led the 101st Airborne in Iraq, was commander of CENTCOM and director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He partnered on the book with Roberts, who is the author of 20 books.

Jan. 16: Karim Lakhani, "AI: Friend or Foe"

Lakhani, the Dorothy and Michael Hintze professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, will discuss technology management and innovation in the face of digital transformation and the growth of artificial intelligence.

Jan. 23: Robert Gates, "Is War Inevitable?"

Gates has served in eight presidential administrations and was the only secretary of defense to serve under both Republican and Democratic presidents. In his presentation, he will share his insight culled from decades of service in the public and private sectors.

Jan. 30: Karl Rove, "America's Challenges Amidst Its Broken Politics"

Rove, a returning speaker as part of the series, is a prominent political consultant and frequent commentator. He notably was senior adviser and deputy White House chief of staff for President George W. Bush, and he led both of Bush's successful presidential campaigns.

Feb. 6: Nicholas Callaway, "67 Nights in the Sistine Chapel"

The publisher of Callaway Arts and Entertainment will discuss his team's groundbreaking work to capture high-resolution images of the Sistine Chapel that were compiled into three volumes that were published, with each book standing two feet high and with a total of more than 800 pages. The full trilogy will be on display during Callaway's presentation.

Feb. 13: Kate Rothko Prizel and Christopher Rothko, "The Rothkos in Conversation"

Mark Rothko's children will discuss their father's catalogue and legacy as one of the leading artists of the modern era, in conversation with Four Arts president Philip Rylands. Prizel and Rothko also will share stories of their lives growing up.

Feb. 20: Thomas Friedman, "The Big Trends Shaping the World Today: Economics, Technology and Geopolitics"

Longtime New York Times opinion writer and author Friedman will discuss current events including the war in Ukraine, the Middle East, technological advancements and potential pitfalls of AI.

Feb. 27: David Zaslav, "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of … 100 Years of Thrilling Audiences and Shaping Culture Through Storytelling"

Zaslav, chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery, will provide a look behind the curtain at the entertainment industry, from its inception to today.

March 5: Renée Fleming, "My Life in Music: An Afternoon with Renée Fleming"

Fleming is a soprano who has received the National Medal of Arts, the French Legion of Honor and 18 Grammy nominations, of which she has won five awards. She will discuss her career and methods.

March 12: Robert Ballard, "Exploring Earth's Last Frontier – The Deep Sea"

Ballard is the retired Navy officer and noted explorer who is credited with discovering the remains of the Titanic, as well as the aircraft carrier Yorktown. He will speak about his deep-sea explorations.

March 19: Peter Zeihan, "War and Politics at the End of the World"

Another return speaker, Zeihan is known for discussing and predicting geopolitical actions while sharing historical background. In his March speech, Zeihan will review what has happened since he last spoke at the Four Arts, and what he sees happening next.

March 26: Steve Wynn, "Take Henri Matisse and the 14th Dala Lama … Add Water, Poof, You Have a Culture"

Wynn — the entrepreneur behind Las Vegas mainstays including the Golden Nugget, The Mirage and The Bellagio — will share insight into one of his great passions: art. His collection includes works by Koons, Monet, Picasso and Vermeer.

For more information, go to fourarts.org/okeeffe-speaker-series.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Baier, Rove, Ballard highlight Society of the Four Arts speaker series