Smithsonian Associates Online Programs

Founded by the hermit monks of San Girolamo in 1396 in Venice, the Church of San Sebastiano can be described as Venetian artist Paolo Veronese’s “Sistine Chapel.” The church houses a cycle of paintings that are the most important works Veronese created. Other notable works found in the church and sacristy include Titian's St. Nicholas and works by Paris Bordone, Jacopo Tintoretto, and Bonifacio de' Pitati. Italian Renaissance art expert Rocky Ruggiero discusses Veronese’s paintings and highlights other noteworthy works in the church. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

From September to November 1918, a hard-fought World War I battle that pitted green, poorly equipped American doughboys against combat-hardened German troops saw the U.S. military come of age in the brutal clash known as the Battle of the Meuse–Argonne. The U.S. Army pushed the Germans back and helped end World War I—succeeding where Allies had stalled for years. Military historian Mitchell Yockelson highlights key figures, including fighter ace Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, Cpl. Alvin York, Gen. John J. Pershing, Lt. Gen. Hunter Liggett, Capt. Harry S. Truman, Lt. Col. George S. Patton, and Col. Douglas MacArthur, the war’s most decorated soldier.

Travel the world with the summer edition of Sketching the Smithsonian as you take an artful break and explore the fascinating, vast collections of this extraordinary museum.

The Louisiana Purchase is often remembered as a simple bargain—four cents an acre and a nation that doubled in size overnight. But the true story is far more complex, global, and consequential. Historian Alexander Mikaberidze examines how the 1803 purchase from France led to the birth of the U.S.–Indian treaty system, redefined the United States, and reshaped the modern world.

With more than 170,000 described species—and countless more yet to be discovered—the kingdom Fungi is one of the most astonishing branches of the tree of life. Today mycology, the study of fungi, is enjoying a surge of popular attention, captivating foragers and food lovers, scientists and artists, and naturalists of all ages and experience levels. Though fungi can seem mysterious and even bewildering, mycologist David Hibbett illuminates their remarkable variety and explains what fungi are, how they live and grow, and the ways they shape the ecosystems around us.

The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) is a world leader in large-scale and long-term science that connects people and ecosystems. William “Monty” Graham, the new director of SERC, discusses the center’s work, beginning with a look at how Americans used the land and its resources 250 years ago. With a combination of knowledge from the past and innovative technology, Graham says, Smithsonian scientists can peer into the future for a glimpse at what it holds for the United States’ environment.

When Mount Vesuvius erupted in the year 79, it inadvertently preserved the most extensive and intact ruins anywhere in the ancient world. Drawing on the material remains of Herculaneum and Pompeii, historian Justin M. Jacobs paints a lively portrait of daily urban life in the Roman Empire. He explores the fascinating history of the earliest digs at these sites during the 18th century, when they were regarded as a private quarry of Roman antiquities for a Bourbon king.

Historian and author Steven J. Ross argues that antisemitism and racism intensified rather than subsided after World War II, with violent attacks spreading across U.S. cities and extremist groups more than doubling between 1940 and 1946. He highlights how Arnold Forster, George Mintzer, and James Sheldon—along with many others—infiltrated and disrupted these networks at personal risk. The story of their hidden efforts, says Ross, offers a reconsideration of the “Good War” and exposes a largely forgotten fight against rising extremism.

Architect Carolyn Muraskin, founder of DC Design Tours, explores the engineering, architectural, and cultural history of Washington, D.C.’s major bridges. From the 19th-century Old Aqueduct Bridge to the Francis Scott Key, Dumbarton, and Chain bridges, she traces how these crossings shaped movement, commerce, and civic identity. Muraskin highlights designers’ responses to spanning the Potomac and Rock Creek, revealing innovations, evolving aesthetics, and the bridges’ enduring roles in the city’s growth and character.

Anne Hutchinson can be regarded as the founding mother of religious freedom in America, says historian and author Fred Zilian. In the 1630s, her outspoken theological views brought her into conflict with the Puritan leadership of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Tried for sedition and heresy in 1637–38, she was excommunicated from the church and banished from the colony. Zilian traces Hutchinson’s life and legacy.