All upcoming Courses

Indulge in a colorful midwinter escape as horticultural expert Keith Tomlinson leads a series of virtual visits that highlight the beauty of notable botanical gardens in settings as varied as Singapore, the Arizona desert, and the American Midwest. In vibrant visuals he explores how each garden has taken a unique approach to design and interpretation as they celebrate plant collections, conservation, education, and the distinctive environments and landscapes in which they bloom. This session focuses on the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore.

Drawing on one of the greatest Post-Impressionist and early modern art collections in the world, Barnes Foundation educator Penny Hansen guides a five-part series of online tours that examine the paintings of artists who helped shape a revolutionary period in the history of art. High-definition Deep Zoom technology provides close-up views of their canvases. This session highlights Amedeo Modigliani and Chaim Soutine.

Indulge in a colorful midwinter escape as horticultural expert Keith Tomlinson leads a series of virtual visits that highlight the beauty of notable botanical gardens in settings as varied as Singapore, the Arizona desert, and the American Midwest. In vibrant visuals he explores how each garden has taken a unique approach to design and interpretation as they celebrate plant collections, conservation, education, and the distinctive environments and landscapes in which they bloom. This session focuses on the Boyce Thompson Arboretum and the Desert Botanical Garden in Arizona.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, one of the most important and multifaceted Baroque painters, revolutionized European painting with his stark naturalism and dramatic use of light and shadow. Notorious for his violent temper, culminating in exile after a fatal brawl, he was both criticized and admired. Art historian Joseph Paul Cassar examines Caravaggio’s life and the stylistic innovations and thematic complexity that made his paintings celebrated and controversial. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)

Drawing on one of the greatest Post-Impressionist and early modern art collections in the world, Barnes Foundation educator Penny Hansen guides a five-part series of online tours that examine the paintings of artists who helped shape a revolutionary period in the history of art. High-definition Deep Zoom technology provides close-up views of their canvases. This session highlights Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, and Georges Seurat.

Indulge in a colorful midwinter escape as horticultural expert Keith Tomlinson leads a series of virtual visits that highlight the beauty of notable botanical gardens in settings as varied as Singapore, the Arizona desert, and the American Midwest. In vibrant visuals he explores how each garden has taken a unique approach to design and interpretation as they celebrate plant collections, conservation, education, and the distinctive environments and landscapes in which they bloom. This session focuses on the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis.

World’s fairs have long served as global showcases for innovation, culture, and progress. In a 3-part series, art historian Jennie Hirsh delves into the pivotal exhibitions held in St. Louis in 1904, San Francisco and San Diego in 1915, and Paris in 1925, examining how these landmark events showcased each era’s groundbreaking achievements in technology, culture, science, art, and architecture. This session focuses on the St. Louis 1904 World's Fair.

In the late 19th century, American artists studied in Paris, embracing Impressionism’s bright palette and broken brushwork. Returning home to exhibit and teach, they formed “The Ten,” exhibiting for 20 years. By 1918, shifting art movements and global events rendered Impressionism outdated. In a four-part series, art historian Bonita Billman explores these artists’ defining style, subjects, and masterpieces that contributed to American art history. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit)

Discover how visual art can inspire creative writing and how writing can offer a powerful way to experience art. Join Mary Hall Surface, the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s popular Writing Salon, for a course of three online workshops that explore essential elements of writing and styles through close looking, word-sketching, and imaginative response to prompts. The sessions spotlight a diverse range of visual art chosen to inspire writers of all experience levels to deepen their process and practice. This writing session is inspired by The Mother and Sister of the Artist by Berthe Morisot.

Between 350 and 750, western Europe underwent a profound transformation. The Roman empire, which had dominated the ancient world for more than half a millennium, collapsed. The last Western Roman emperor was deposed in 476, while new peoples competed with the Roman population and with each other. Historian David Gwynn traces the entangled stories of the Goths, Huns, Franks, and Anglo-Saxons, who interacted in different ways with the Roman empire and its legacy and together shaped the history of Christian Europe and Western civilization.