Programs

Over the course of the more than three decades he lived or visited there, the Badlands transformed Theodore Roosevelt into the kind of vigorous outdoorsman that he’d idealized as a youth—and that shaped his public image as president. Perhaps more importantly, this corner of the West turned him into a passionate conservationist. Experience the Badlands landscapes—filled with dramatic vistas, vividly colored canyons, and wandering herds of wild bison—on a 5-day study tour led by naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley.

John James Audubon—naturalist, artist, and creator of The Birds of America—is widely regarded as America’s first great watercolorist, but his artistic journey has never been examined. Art historian Roberta J. M. Olson explores how Audubon studied both past and concurrent artists to forge innovative works of fine art and delves into the contemporary controversies surrounding him. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Art historian Joseph P. Cassar examines the output of Mexican artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo as he explores their relationship as husband and wife; similarities and contrasts; the impact of their marriage on each other’s work; and why Kahlo’s artistic career unjustly remained in the shadow of the internationally famous painter during her lifetime. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Sports columnist Joe Posnanski uses his new book, Why We Love Football, to kick off reminiscences about pivotal moments in the sport, from epic comeback games to stellar feats of athleticism. He’s joined by former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, veteran Washington Post football reporter Len Shapiro, and Washington football legend and Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinee Darrell Green for a lively conversation about the sport moderated by Phil Hochberg, longtime stadium announcer for the Washington Football Team.

Camille Pissarro was in many ways an odd man out among the Impressionist fold. He was Jewish, a native of St. Thomas, and older than his fellow artists Monet, Renoir, and Sisley, though he remained faithful to their avant-garde style. Art historian Bonita Billman examines Pissarro’s landscapes and genre subjects and surveys his range of materials and forms including charcoal drawings, watercolors, etchings, and oil paintings. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

How could a lowly Florentine preacher almost singlehandedly overthrow the mighty Medici family at the height of the Italian Renaissance and unleash the Bonfire of Vanities that consigned priceless paintings, books, and jewelry to flames? Historian Janna Bianchini tells the story of the impassioned Girolamo Savonarola’s unexpected rise; his domination of the city as the head of a ruthless theocracy; and his meteoric fall.

Attempts to answer the questions “How did life on Earth begin?” and “Are we alone in the universe?” have opened extraordinarily vibrant and dynamic frontiers of investigation. Astrophysicist Mario Livio examines how the quest for cosmic life follows two parallel, independent lines of research: laboratory studies aimed at determining if life can emerge from pure chemistry, and advanced astronomical observations searching for signs of life beyond Earth.

Ancient Sparta—in its time the most feared of city-states because of its military prowess and the most praised for the political consistency and social stability it provided to its citizens—has been portrayed by political scientists as the model for totalitarian 20th-century dictatorships in Germany, Russia, Italy, and China. Classicist John Prevas analyzes ancient Sparta’s approaches to education, government, and social relations; draws parallels to modern dictatorships; and considers whether it could become the model for a repressive American future.

Rivalries can be contentious and destructive, but they can also help fuel great works of art. The competitions between artistic titans of the 16th century—Michelangelo and Raphael, Caravaggio and Annibale Carracci, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini—all contributed to an extraordinary transformation of Rome. Renaissance art historian Elaine Ruffolo surveys how the hallmarks of these artists who challenged each other’s genius are still visible in the buildings, paintings, and sculpture of the city. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

In 2019, eight buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright were added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. They span six decades of his long career and include significant residential, religious, and institutional buildings constructed between 1905 and 1959. Bill Keene, a lecturer in urban studies, architecture, and history, reviews the nature of the UNESCO list, its criteria for inclusion, and the steps in the more than 15-year nominating process needed to consider the architect’s buildings for designation.