In the chaotic days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Roosevelt administration made a controversial decision. To encourage reciprocal treatment of U.S. diplomats trapped abroad, it sent hundreds of Axis diplomats living in the United States to remote luxury hotels. Already stunned by the attack on Honolulu that killed more than 2,400 service members and civilians, many Americans were enraged by the government’s magnanimity towards its enemies. Writer Harvey Solomon makes this story come alive.
Roald Dahl, famed for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda, crafted worlds of dark humor, mischievous heroes, and villainous adults that still captivate readers. Adventurer, World War II fighter pilot, inventor, eccentric, and husband of actress Patricia Neal, Dahl’s adult fiction revealed a darker and sharper wit. Unconventional to the end, he requested to be buried with his snooker cues and a good bottle of wine. Historian Daniel Stashower and actor Scott Sedar celebrate Dahl’s remarkable life and work.
Art historian Sophia D’Addio surveys Le Marche, along the Adriatic east of Umbria, which features beaches, Apennine peaks, and rolling hills with towns. Urbino, Raphael’s hometown, shines as an artistic hub, while Loreto has drawn pilgrims since the 14th century. Beyond these marvels, D’Addio highlights more off-the-beaten-path destinations. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Step behind the silver screen with author and design historian Cathy Whitlock as she explores the artistry that brings movies to life. Based on her book Designs on Film: A Century of Hollywood Art Direction, Whitlock leads a journey through the sets, locations, and design stories behind films such as Gone with the Wind, The Great Gatsby, and La La Land.
The 1990 Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist saw two thieves posing as police officers steal 13 masterpieces, including works by Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Degas. Art historian Laura Morelli explores why these specific pieces—such as Rembrandt’s only seascape and a rare Vermeer—hold exceptional artistic and historical value. She reflects on how their disappearance continues to trouble scholars and the public, and she examines leading theories about the artworks’ fate, underscoring the enduring mystery surrounding one of history’s most significant art thefts. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
One of Shakespeare’s most beloved and aesthetically brilliant comedies is Twelfth Night from 1602. Joseph Luzzi, professor of literature at Bard College, guides participants through an in-depth discussion of the play’s key elements, including its gorgeous lyricism, emphasis on masks and shifting identity, and exploration of the complexities of love.
In an afternoon of artistic experimentation designed to strengthen creative muscles and deepen skills in visual expression, explore five distinct modes of visual thinking—memory, observation, imagination, narrative, and experimentation—to complete eight expressive journaling exercises using the marking and mapping approach.
Ages 3 to 8. Sign, dance, and learn with Iya Bashea and the talented Kuumba Kids.
