Liguria is best known for its idyllic seaside towns along the Italian Riviera, from such famed locales as Portofino and Rapallo to humbler fishing towns like Camogli. Art historian Sophia D’Addio surveys the history of the capital city of the region, Genoa, as one of the major maritime powers of the Italian peninsula during the medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods. She also celebrates its chief culinary achievement: pesto. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
From 1956 to 1969, Elvis Presley made 31 films, starring in all but one. Unfortunately, Elvis’ dream of being taken seriously as an actor was never fulfilled, thanks to the almost insatiable greed of his manager, Col. Tom Parker. Media historian Brian Rose examines the ups and downs of Presley’s Hollywood career, which started off with such promise in films such as King Creole and Jailhouse Rock.
Claude Monet created his enchanting Water Lilies series with the intention to provide an “asylum of peaceful meditation.” However, the calm and beauty of these luminous works belie the personal loss, turmoil, frustration, and anguish Monet endured in the last 15 years of his life. Author Ross King explores how, despite these travails, Monet turned to his art once again—and continued until his death in 1926. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Originally part of the residence of the Medici dynasty, the Palatine Gallery encompasses the entire second floor of the Pitti Palace in Florence, Italy. Its collection includes the largest concentration of paintings by Raphael in the world, as well as works by Titian, Tintoretto, Caravaggio and Rubens. Italian Renaissance art expert Rocky Ruggiero discusses some of these magnificent pieces of art. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Stoicism’s core teaching is that happiness arises from virtue, reason, and harmony with nature. Contrary to appearances, people do not react to events themselves but to their judgments about them. Stoics aim to recognize and refine these judgments, eliminating irrationality to live more wisely. Drawing from his book The Practicing Stoic: A Philosophical User’s Manual, Ward Farnsworth, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, offers practical guidance for clearer perception, resilient living, and easing life’s burdens.
Ages 3 to 7. Come learn about the mighty pollinators at the ecosystems they help to thrive in this new Discovery Theater Original Production.
The Bauhaus, founded in 1919 in Weimar, Germany, by the young architect Walter Gropius, was part Modernist school of art and design and part dream factory. Students were taught in workshops led by both craftsmen and artists and the curriculum included everything from fine art, typography, and graphic design to interior design and architecture. In a 4-part series, art historian Joseph Paul Cassar explores the importance and enduring influence of the Bauhaus. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)
Learn to use a variety of approaches to the medium of embroidery while taking inspiration from the Smithsonian collection. Explore the history of embroidery back to the Middle Ages and together analyze the art form while practicing in a series of guided exercises.
