After being guided through mindfulness activities that teach you to make choices in art making, delve into emphasizing process over product and play over perfection. Expect a class grounded in both creative theory and therapeutic principles that deepen your relationship with yourself as an artist and as a person.
Beyond his political and military achievements, Sir Winston Churchill was a prolific and accomplished writer. Historian Katherine Carter explores the literary legacy of a man whose mastery of language was as formidable as his determination during his country's darkest hour. She examines how Churchill’s skillful storytelling helped shape public perception, bolstered morale during World War II, and made him a worthy recipient of a Nobel Prize in Literature.
In popular culture and historical fiction, Louis XVI, the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy in 1792, is typically portrayed as either a feeble puppet manipulated by his glamorous wife Marie Antoinette or a heartless tyrant whose downfall was richly deserved. Historian Alexander Mikaberidze examines these familiar tropes, offering a more nuanced reappraisal of a monarch caught in the violent center of a world in transformation.
Viktor Frankl (1905–1997) was a philosopher, practicing therapist, and author of 39 books, including A Psychologist’s Experiences in the Concentration Camp, chronicling his imprisonment during World War II. He created the theory and exercise of logotherapy, a school of psychotherapy that described a search for life’s meaning and purpose as a central human dynamic. Historian and author Dennis B. Klein reviews Frankl’s work, exploring how meaning-making can respond to what he called “inner emptiness.”
Discover the power of reflective writing guided by the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s popular Writing Salon, Mary Hall Surface. Inspired by 19th-century French artist James Tissot’s painting Journey of the Magi and poetry across time, explore the notion of epiphany—those transformative moments in life that spark change and understanding.
Described by Cicero more than 2,000 years ago as a promiscuous, husband-murdering harlot, Clodia of Rome led a powerful, complex life. Classicist Douglas Boin argues that Cicero lied about her to protect his own property and interests. Drawing on neglected sources and his study of Roman lives, Boin recounts events from Clodia’s privileged childhood and describes how she engaged in her family’s tradition of egalitarian activism.
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
At the heart of Buddhism lies a deep concern with how individuals live—how their actions affect others and contribute to their own awakening. Steven M. Emmanuel, chair of the philosophy department at Virginia Wesleyan University, introduces Buddhist ethics. He outlines the differences between Buddhist and Western approaches to ethics and offers a detailed discussion of Buddhist practice, focusing on the role that meditation plays in moral development.
