This five-session course is an introduction to live figure drawing. Working with charcoal and graphite on paper, students become familiar with classical formats for figure drawing sessions. Through practice, demonstrations, and group discussions, students learn and gain confidence drawing human models.
The storyline of Paris can be followed along the banks of its iconic River Seine. On both the Right Bank and the Left, evidence of the city's 2,000-year history, the figures who shaped it across the centuries, and the artistic and architectural movements that originated here can be seen. In a 2-part series, journey with freelance travel writer Barbara Noe Kennedy as you discover intriguing sites, historical aspects, and art in this virtual exploration using maps, photos, and videos. This session focuses on the Left Bank of Paris.
Learn to capture the depth of field, motion effects, and exposure you want by quickly making camera adjustments in the field. Topics covered include ISO, apertures, shutter speeds, exposure modes, metering modes, exposure compensation, and histograms.
Americans have long viewed major trials as public dramas that reveal enduring social tensions. Historian Michael Ross argues that the most memorable cases matter because the conflicts they expose never fully fade. His series revisits four landmark trials—involving witchcraft in New England, an accused Gilded Age double murderess, the evolution debate, and the controversial Chicago Seven—showing how each became a flashpoint for its era and why their echoes still shape American society.
Trace the 600-mile route from Shenandoah’s northern tip along Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway to Asheville, North Carolina. Naturalist Keith Tomlinson highlights sweeping vistas, steep summits, ancient geology, and historic sites shaped by Native peoples and early settlers. He explores the region’s diverse habitats, wildlife, and rich ecological history, along with hiking and lodging opportunities across secluded hollows and rugged Appalachian landscapes.
Experiment with painting styles such as Cubism, Suprematism, and Abstract Expressionism to learn practical applications of the concepts and techniques of Modernism. Move beyond the basics to discover and develop your unique visual language. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
French Impressionists painted appealing, selectively edited scenes of modern urban life using pure color. The Ashcan School in New York pushed this further, portraying the city’s realities with unflinching honesty rather than beauty. Art historian Bonita Billman examines works by George Bellows, William Glackens, Robert Henri, George Luks, Everett Shinn, and John Sloan, showing how their gritty depictions revealed modern life’s truths and influenced later artists who embraced the city as their subject. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Few composers have made a mark on film like Ennio Morricone. He composed and arranged scores for more than 400 film and television productions, earning a reputation as a master of underscoring, deftly building psychological and emotional impact with music. Film music scholar Franco Sciannameo examines a selection of Morricone's scores to illuminate the composer’s ability to bring viewers into the cinematic narrative.
Backyard birding offers a simple, rewarding way to connect with nature. With a window, balcony, or small outdoor space, says naturalist Matt Felperin, you can observe a surprising variety of birds in their routines. From the flash of color as a cardinal lands on a feeder to the familiar call of a chickadee in a nearby tree, these everyday encounters reveal the richness of the natural world outside your door.
Originally part of the 100-square-mile area surveyed in 1791 and 1792 for the nation’s capital, Arlington County is a tapestry of history woven from colonial farmsteads, Civil War fortifications, African American villages, and the people who have defined the county for more than two centuries. Travel journalist Barbara Noe Kennedy leads a day-long exploration of sites that reveal how Arlington evolved from a rural Virginia community into a modern urban county transformed by war, migration, segregation, and redevelopment.
