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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.
Improv quiltmaking allows for spontaneous design development as opposed to following a pre-determined plan. Using today’s trends with raw edge piercing and applique skills, students are inspired to create their very own wall hanging/table runner.
If you like the idea of using images from magazines to create collages that tell a story, then this class is for you. Take this opportunity to walk down the path of surrealism, political commentary, or any other subjects of your choosing to create your own photomontage.
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.
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)
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.
Ages 3 to 7. Master teaching artist Mr. Root brings his talents to the Discovery Theater stage with this engaging and interactive performance.
