About The Gloaming Society
The Gloaming Society was created to celebrate the art of conversation. Through our launch of a unique salon series, we have created a forum for diverse groups of individuals to exchange ideas on a variety of topics relating to the human condition. Intimate in scale, each of our salons gathers no more than twelve people at a time, all of whom are motivated by a desire to share, listen and make deep, meaningful connections with others in the room. With topics ranging from friendship and happiness to identity and mortality, our conversations are personal and provocative, intriguing and inspiring. While there are countless ways to exchange information in our digital age, we believe that face-to-face interpersonal communication remains one of the best ways to learn about others and ourselves.
History of Salons
Salons have long been a social and cultural force in societies. With origins dating back to 16th century Italy and continuing strongly through 17th and 18th century France, the salon movement evolved as a means to encourage deep, authentic conversation on a variety of social, cultural, political and philosophical topics. In the 18th and 19th centuries, salons were held in many countries including Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Great Britain, and have been attributed as aiding the creation of a “public sphere” in Europe. Historically, women played an integral role in the salon tradition, opening their homes to host gatherings that served not only as outlets for enlightened conversation but also as incubators for new ideas benefitting the common good. Today, the salon tradition is experiencing a global renaissance as a way for men and women of diverse backgrounds and opinions to share ideas and create meaningful connections with one another.