Explore the vibrant and expressive world of Cézanne as you peer into the mindset of the beloved Impressionist and create inspired art, uncovering new layers of artistic possibility in this 3-session weekend class. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

The monuments of Machu Picchu are perhaps the most recognizable yet least understood of the world’s famous monuments. Historian Justin M. Jacobs explores the world of the Inca empire and analyzes Machu Picchu’s original function as a royal estate for successive Incan kings. He covers the innovative layout of the site, the type of structures that have survived, the reason for their abandonment, and their rediscovery by American explorer Hiram Bingham in the early 20th century.

Apart from celebrating the holiday, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol highlights the stark contrast between London’s wealthy and impoverished. Taking a cue from the Ghost of Christmas Past, historian Julie Taddeo returns to the age of workhouses and plum puddings to examine Dickens and Christmas within the larger social dynamic of 19th-century Britain; why Dickens has been credited with the “invention” of Christmas; and how this holiday became a distinctly Victorian tradition that influences how it is celebrated today.

From sleigh bells and sugarplums to the mystical beauties of the Nativity, December is alive with the music of Christmas. Lecturer and concert pianist Rachel Franklin revisits this most beloved seasonal repertory, exploring how classical Western composers created a canon of both secular and sacred experiences that are deeply rooted in the celebration of the holidays.

Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life is a beloved Christmas classic. Yet when the film was released in 1946, it was a box office flop, won no Academy Awards, and was largely forgotten—until it was rediscovered through endless airings on local TV stations beginning in the 1970s. Media historian Brian Rose examines the movie’s fascinating story.

First practiced in the Greco-Roman era, encaustic painting remains popular with artists today. Study fusing and carving in wax as well as capturing vibrant pigments using heated beeswax.

Just in time for the upcoming season, this workshop is an opportunity to create small hanging artworks that can be individualized in many ways to fit any gift-giving occasion.

Ponder the possibilities that the contemplative season of Advent provides inspired by Henry Ossawa Tanner’s painting The Annunciation and a poem by Wendell Berry. Designed for writers of all levels, and for the curious, the workshop led by Mary Hall Surface invites you to look outwardly at art and to look inwardly through writing. These reflections can become creative fertile ground for memoir, poetry, and more. 

The holidays are a time of celebration around the world—and enjoying seasonal libations is a part of the celebration. Join cocktail historian Philip Greene and Washington, D.C., mixologists Gina Chersevani and Duane Sylvestre in looking at holiday-themed drinks from near and far. Sample six holiday quaffs and enjoy light snacks as you learn how to make each drink.

Today, the December holidays are all about joyous magic, warm evenings curled by the fire, and celebrations of the triumph of good and light in the world. Traditionally, however, the winter season also ushers in the terrors of the dark and the cold. One of the most fascinating, long-established cultural traditions that blends these very different impulses is the Christmas ghost story. Folklorists Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman trace the history of the winter ghost story, exploring how it became tied to Christmas and sharing tales.