Florence and Venice were both rich, confident, and magnificently beautiful cities—powerhouses of Renaissance creativity. Yet they were vastly different in their character and artistic, intellectual, and political aspirations. Art historian Nigel McGilchrist explores the tale of these two cities and the artists they nurtured, in particular the contrasting geniuses of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Titian. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)

Smithsonian Chamber Music Society audiences are privy to the unparalleled experience of being able to hear two magnificent quartets of instruments—one made by Antonio Stradivari, the other by his teacher Nicoló Amati—in this popular four-concert series on Saturdays. The concert features music composed by Schubert, Mozart, and Bruckner.

While Romare Bearden worked in many mediums from oil and watercolor to printmaking, he is best known for his mixed-media collages and photomontages. After looking at Bearden’s works of art, students try their hand at creating Bearden-inspired mixed-media compositions.

Smithsonian Chamber Music Society audiences are privy to the unparalleled experience of being able to hear two magnificent quartets of instruments—one made by Antonio Stradivari, the other by his teacher Nicoló Amati—in this popular four-concert series on Sundays. The concert features music composed by Schubert, Mozart, and Bruckner.

At the nationally celebrated Moon Rabbit restaurant in Washington, D.C., chef Kevin Tien oversees a menu that features contemporary takes on classic Vietnamese dishes with an homage to his mother’s and grandmother’s recipes. His special menu designed for Smithsonian Associates’ guests also has a family flavor: It celebrates the Lunar New Year, a time when Vietnamese families gather over food to honor their ancestors, review the past year, and pray for health and prosperity in the coming one.

Chamber music, perhaps the most subtle and intimate form of musical expression, has inspired many great composers to create some of their most sublime compositions. In a five-session series, classical music expert Saul Lilienstein explores and analyzes some of the chamber repertoire’s masterworks by Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Dvorak, Shostakovich, and others.

Urban renewal efforts in the mid-20th century ushered in a Brutalist phenomenon that reshaped Washington, D.C. But many of the high-profile public buildings designed in the rough, minimalist style haven’t aged well and their architectural significance is still debated. Angela Person and Ty Cole, curators of “Capital Brutalism,” at the National Building Museum, provide an overview of the exhibition, which explores the history, current state, and future of seven polarizing Brutalist buildings in the capital. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

From the moment movies learned to talk, they learned to sing. Audiences in 1927 were electrified when they heard Al Jolson belting out top tunes of the day in The Jazz Singer, and since then some of the greatest vocalists have been star attractions in Hollywood musicals. Media historian Brian Rose looks at the ways Hollywood has captured singers such as Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Lena Horne, and Frank Sinatra and provided audiences with an invaluable record of indelible performances.

How did the name of a Continental Army general become a synonym for treason? Historian Richard Bell reconstructs the life and times of Benedict Arnold, the reasons he turned on his country, and the larger problems of betrayal and desertion that dogged George Washington’s army.

Have you ever found yourself pondering deeply cheesy thoughts: What makes certain cheeses smell, look, or taste the way that they do? How do I serve them? What do I look for when shopping for cheeses? And where are the best places to find them locally? Join Alice Bergen Phillips, founder of Washington, D.C.’s Cheesemonster, for a lively investigation that serves up all the answers—and a tasting, too.