Programs

April and May are magical in the Enid A. Haupt Garden. Sketch there using watercolors to capture the changing light of the season.

From civil rights to feminism to gay liberation to the environmental movement to the silent majority, a period that began more than half a century ago has shaped and influenced our country ever since. Leonard Steinhorn, a professor in the School of Communication at American University, explores the 1960’s meaning and its legacy—one that may have created the dividing line in our current politics and society.

George Washington not only played a vital role in framing the Constitution as the president of the Philadelphia Convention, he also put the document into practice as America’s first leader. Historian Denver Brunsman explores the origins of executive power through the writings and actions of the United States’ first president.

Ages 3 to 6. Meet the grocer, the baker, the pizza-dough maker, and all of the friendly people who make our neighborhoods terrific places to live every day.

Ages 3 to 6. Meet the grocer, the baker, the pizza-dough maker, and all of the friendly people who make our neighborhoods terrific places to live every day.

At its peak, the Roman empire extended from Britain to the Sahara Desert, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Euphrates River. Yet in 476, the last western Roman emperor was deposed. In a 4-part series, historian David Gwynn analyzes the dramatic events which shaped the decline and fall of the Roman empire in the west, exploring the transformation from the ancient to the medieval world that laid the foundations for modern Europe. This session focuses on fifth-century historical events.

Refamiliarize yourself with the fundamentals of color theory while learning an approach to mixing color that relies on color harmonies. Gain a deeper understanding of complementary color relationships to more intuitively mix colors and harness color harmonies to better express depth as well as the contrast between light and shadow.

This course examines fundamental concepts of composition and their practical application in art practice, offering participants tools to enrich their work as well to analyze and appreciate visual art in general. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

As one of the most significant categories of painting in Western art, portraiture offers a window into both individual identities and broader social and cultural values. In a 4-part series, art historian Aneta Georgievska-Shine looks closely at a variety of aspects of portraiture in historical contexts, providing a deeper understanding of the significance of this pictorial genre. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1 credit)

Within a few years of the Norman Conquest of 1066, a beautiful and intricate tapestry appeared that documented in remarkable detail the events of the Battle of Hastings. Scholars still study the Bayeux Tapestry for its expansive cultural value in understanding the complexity of the Norman–Saxon transition that carried within it the seeds of the Hundred Years War three centuries later. Historian Cheryl White examines its lasting impact as a work of art and historical documentary and how the Bayeux Tapestry speaks to the identity of a people, a kingdom, and ultimately, the role of art in reinforcing the dominant view by which scholars interpret the past.