The Ephrata Cloister in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is a living testament to William Penn’s “Holy Experiment,” his ambitious vision of a society built on religious freedom, tolerance, and communal living. Founded in 1732 and dissolved in 1934, the cloister’s legacy is remarkable: over 1,000 hymns, intricate Germanic calligraphy, and striking buildings that still stand. Brad Smith, curator at the Ephrata Cloister, leads a journey into its rich history. He explores the radical theology of this unique religious community and discusses how its members’ preservation of faith, culture, and architecture continues to resonate today.
Spend a fascinating Friday evening expanding your knowledge of the world of wine as you sip along with sommelier Erik Segelbaum in a series of delectable adventures. He explores offerings from both sides of South America’s Andes in an immersive program that includes a curated personal tasting kit to enhance the experience.
Discover how visual art can inspire creative writing and how writing can offer a powerful way to experience art. Join Mary Hall Surface, the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s popular Writing Salon, for a course of three online workshops that explore essential elements of writing and styles through close looking, word-sketching, and imaginative response to prompts. The sessions spotlight a diverse range of visual art chosen to inspire writers of all experience levels to deepen their process and practice. This writing session is inspired by A Sunburst Restrained by María Berrío.
World’s fairs have long served as global showcases for innovation, culture, and progress. In a 3-part series, art historian Jennie Hirsh delves into the pivotal exhibitions held in St. Louis in 1904, San Francisco and San Diego in 1915, and Paris in 1925, examining how these landmark events showcased each era’s groundbreaking achievements in technology, culture, science, art, and architecture. This session focuses on the St. Louis 1904 World's Fair.
In mid-19th-century France, artists responded to sweeping societal changes by rejecting Romanticism and embracing Realism. Led by Gustave Courbet and Honoré Daumier, the movement depicted everyday life and challenged elite Salon audiences. Art historian Nancy G. Heller explores Realism’s evolution, highlighting its impact on painting, sculpture, photography, and literature. She traces its spread beyond France to Germany, Italy, and America, where it influenced Thomas Eakins and the Ashcan School, emphasizing social truth over idealized beauty. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
World’s fairs have long served as global showcases for innovation, culture, and progress. In a 3-part series, art historian Jennie Hirsh delves into the pivotal exhibitions held in St. Louis in 1904, San Francisco and San Diego in 1915, and Paris in 1925, examining how these landmark events showcased each era’s groundbreaking achievements in technology, culture, science, art, and architecture. This session focuses on the California 1915 World's Fairs.
During the first several centuries of the first millennium, the Syrian desert oasis of Palmyra was a crucial link in an overland trade network that stretched from Rome to India. The profits of this trade were invested in stunning monuments and works of art that fused Western and Eastern sensibilities. Historian Justin M. Jacobs explores the history of UNESCO World Heritage Site Palmyra, its monuments and sculptures, and its fate during the Syrian civil war.
Pull out your sketchbook and pencil to take an artful break as you explore the Smithsonian while drawing objects from vast and fascinating collections.
