In-Person Program Only: Winslow Homer (1836–1910) has often been called America’s favorite painter. His work was both quintessentially American and quietly replete with narratives for and about people of all races and ages. Drawing on his new biography, Winslow Homer: American Passage, William R. Cross offers an illustrated look at the man behind the art and examines Homer’s role in American culture. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Emma Woodhouse, Elizabeth Bennet, Anne Elliot, and the Dashwood sisters may be fictional heroines, but their creator Jane Austen set their adventures in romance against the very real social and historical backdrop of Regency England. Art historian Bonita Billman brings the era to life as she surveys Regency manners and fashions, the personalities who dominated the public imagination, and the stylish spa town of Bath, where many of Austen’s characters made appearances. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)
Historian and author Mae Ngai narrates the story of the thousands of Chinese who left their homeland in the mid-19th-century in pursuit of gold, and how they formed communities and organizations to help navigate their perilous new world. But they later found themselves excluded from immigration and citizenship.
Join historian Christopher Brooks as he surveys the history of the Supreme Court, its nominations process, and the politics that have played a role in shaping the Court into what we see today.
Modern scientists are slowly unlocking Stonehenge’s secrets, but the stone circle remains a uniquely iconic enigma. Kelly Beatty, senior editor at Sky and Telescope magazine, discusses these new developments and the enduring mystery of Stonehenge.
There’s likely a cunning top-of-the-food-chain predator living close by you: the Great Horned Owl. Join naturalist Mark H.X. Glenshaw to learn how to find these amazing and beautiful animals and other owls in your own neighborhood.
Under the artistic direction of maestro Charlie Young, enjoy outstanding live performances of great jazz music by the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra. This in-person concert delves into the vocal styling of legendary blues singers Mamie (“Queen of the Blues”) Smith and Bessie (“Empress of the Blues”) Smith.