All upcoming Lectures

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 paintings of the visionary Belorussian-born French artist Marc Chagall and by poetry across time, participants slow down, look closely, and reflect to explore love as an animating force in their lives.

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.

Smithsonian Associates speaker Paul Glenshaw returns to the Art + History series to look at great works of art in their historical context. In this program, Glenshaw explores one of the most iconic patriotic images in American art—and one of the most reproduced—to reveal a surprising history that includes its creation in, of all places, Germany. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Curator Patricia LaBounty of the Union Pacific Railroad Museum explores how U.S. presidents used trains to connect with communities from the 1830s to the 1940s. Beginning with Lincoln, railroads were vital for travel, campaigning, and even funeral processions. Presidential policies promoted nationwide rail access, with train cars carrying everything from coal to cantaloupe—and sometimes commanders-in-chief.

Few books are so often quoted as Democracy in America, French writer Alexis de Tocqueville’s seminal assessment of both the American experiment and the implications of burgeoning conditions of social equality for the future of democracy. Georgetown University professor Joseph Hartman examines Tocqueville’s impressions of 19th-century America and considers what he means for us today.

On Aug. 6 and 9 of 1945, the United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively, during World War II. These acts continue to stand as defining moments in history. Historian Hiroshi Kitamura examines the factors leading President Harry S. Truman to take this action during what turned out to be the final month of the war.

When her husband ascended the throne of France as Henri II in 1547, Catherine de' Medici became Queen Consort—yet she spent years in the shadow of his powerful mistress. Historian Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger explores Catherine’s rise to become one of the most influential figures in Europe, a formidable political force whose leadership was marked by both diplomacy and controversy, leaving an indelible mark on the continent’s history.

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson made history with the Brooklyn Dodgers as the first Black player in Major League Baseball’s modern era, breaking the game’s long-standing color barrier. Robinson’s influence reached far beyond the diamond, as he used his platform to challenge racial injustice. Sports historian Fred Frommer and former Senators stadium announcer Phil Hochberg delve into Robinson’s journey as both a pioneering athlete and voice in the civil rights movement.

Ancient Greek echoes through our culture in unexpected ways—sometimes with humor, sometimes with beauty. The word for actor, “hupokrites”, gave us “hypocrite,” while “astronaut” translates poetically to “sailor of the skies.” With humor and fascinating etymology, classical scholar John Davie of Trinity College, Oxford, leads an insightful and entertaining journey through the world of the ancient Greeks, their extraordinary language, and how it still shapes modern minds.