The Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art’s new exhibition opening Friday will not be confined to gallery walls.

“A Room of Their Own,” which focuses on the work of the Bloomsbury group of British visual artists, has inspired a range of programs and events across NU organizations and academic departments.

From Jan. 15 through March 14, the Block Museum will feature more than 150 paintings, works on paper, vintage small-press books and decorative objects by the group.

Members of the Bloomsbury group have been credited as key catalysts for introducing modern movements in art, literature, economics and domestic life to British culture. They include Virginia Woolf, Vanessa Bell, E.M. Forster, Roger Fry, John Maynard Keynes and Lytton Strachey.

The group is know as a literary circle, and the Block Museum’s exhibition will focus on the connection between visual arts and the work of the Bloomsbury writers, said Corinne Granof, the coordinating curator. Visual art connected to the Bloomsbury group is known for its spontaneity and vibrant visual language, Granof said.

“A lot of the ideas are still very relevant and interesting and a springboard for discussions about society and art,” she said. “It’s an important exhibition, and it can bring a lot of exciting activity here to campus.”

Reflecting the interdisciplinary composition of this early 20th century collection of artists and writers, several different NU departments will hold events in conjunction with the exhibition, Museum Director David Alan Robertson said.

“We really like to organize and bring thematic traditions like this to the Block Museum,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for the museum to do what it does best, which is to serve as an interdisciplinary center on campus.”

Leah Culligan-Flack, visiting English professor, will lead book club discussions on Virginia Woolf’s novel “A Room of One’s Own”. The NU theater department will sponsor a performance of the play “Vita and Virginia.” In addition, a lecture entitled “The Iconoclastic Economist,” based on the work of John Maynard Keynes, will be presented by Robert Gordon, the Stanley G. Harris professor of the social sciences, and Lynne Kiesling, senior lecturer of economics at NU.

The exhibition, “A Room of Their Own,” was previously organized at Duke University and Cornell University. At NU, more than 130 students have worked on the upcoming project at Block, from promoting the exhibit to assisting with curatorial work.

“Bringing a show that’s already been organized gives us time to work on broad programming that enhances the exhibition,” Robertson said.

Block Cinema will also screen several films relevant to the lives and work of members of the Bloomsbury group. On Jan. 30, the film venue will present an award-winning documentary on the life of Virginia Woolf.

Mimi Brody, the cinema’s film curator and director, said she anticipates this film and others will enhance the exhibition.

“We’re hoping to engage students, the academic community, other departments, professors and scholars from other universities,” Brody said. “The public programs we have should involve audiences both on and off campus.”[email protected]