Sam Gennawey, a former urban planner, theme park historian, and author of Sacred Landscapes: One Van Lifer's Six-Year, 175,000-Mile National Park Journey likens the National Park Service (NPS) to a meticulously curated museum that showcases the nation’s most culturally significant landscapes. As he examines nature-focused parks and the architecture that frames them—from vintage “Parkitecture” lodges to modern visitor centers—he offers his unique perspective on landscape storytelling, his experience visiting nearly 390 parks, and his insight as a longtime NPS volunteer.
The year 2025 marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which met in 325 in the presence of Constantine, the first Christian Roman emperor. The gathering of some 250 bishops was a momentous event and is remembered as the first ecumenical council, which composed the original Nicene Creed still used in modified form today. However, what really happened at the council remains controversial. Historian David Gwynn explores Nicaea’s disputed legacy for both Christianity and the Roman empire.
Behind the grandeur of the Tudor throne lurked a deep fascination with alchemy, astrology, and signs from the divine. Major events such as marriages, coronations, treaties, and military campaigns were often timed according to favorable alignments of the stars. Historian Cheryl White unlocks a hidden world of power where monarchs sometimes navigated political intrigue with the assistance of the dark currents of occult belief.
Learn how to paint expressive portraits as you improve your observational skills, ability to see angles and shapes, and understanding of color and value. The class emphasizes how to define a subject’s unique features by determining shapes of light and shadow.
Learn the fundamentals of floral arranging as this class covers essential base mechanics, sourcing flowers, working with seasonal blooms, and photographing your work.
Learn to embrace and celebrate the unpredictability, versatility, and beauty of watercolor. Class discussions cover supplies; color theory, palettes and pigment control; and exercises and experiments to achieve different effects.
The teacher introduces students to works of Degas, Renoir, Cassatt, and other masters of pastel. Instruction in a variety of techniques helps you on your way to an inspired pastel art adventure.
Exploring classic winter scenes, strategize the best techniques to capture the season’s unique qualities. Then go outside and take photos to share for review.
Artistic patronage was an important tool in a Renaissance pope’s arsenal, employed both to display power and to communicate and persuade. Art historian Liz Lev looks at the fruitful connection between popes and art from the halcyon days of 15th-century Popes Sixtus IV and Julius II to the Enlightenment era, examining a variety of masterworks including the Laocoön statue and frescoes by Botticelli and Raphael. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Drawing on one of the greatest Post-Impressionist and early modern art collections in the world, Barnes Foundation educator Penny Hansen guides a five-part series of online tours that examine the paintings of artists who helped shape a revolutionary period in the history of art. High-definition Deep Zoom technology provides close-up views of their canvases. This session highlights Henri Matisse.
