Winter 2020

**Due to the coronavirus outbreak, all in-person Osher programs are canceled through the spring quarter.

Scroll below to view a list of courses, review all courses before registering.

History of Humanities: Great Works of Art Through Time **CANCELLED**

Instructor: Jason Ripper

Date: Thursday, January 16, 23, 30, February 6, 13

Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Cost: $45

Description: The architecture of the ancients, the paintings and sculptures that captured the mood of the times, and the stories of the women and men who wrote the poems, etched the marble, and challenged us to reimagine what it means to be human.

Instructor: Jason Ripper has a Master's Degree in History from Western Washington University. He has been teaching at Everett Community College for 16 years, originally having specialized in U.S. history, though he now also teaches courses in Western Civilization and World history. In 2008, he published a two-volume history of the United States, American Stories: Living American History.

Exploring Musical Styles **Cancelled due to low enrollment**

Instructor: Aaron Butler

Date: Monday, January 13, 27, February 3, 10

Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Cost: $45

Description: Exploring musical styles is a brief survey of western classical music from the Middle Ages to present day. We will consider the stylistic and philosophical development of the music created over these ~1600 years, as well as building a vocabulary and developing an ear to discuss and hear these works on a deeper level. We will talk as little as necessary, and listen as much as possible.

Instructor: Aaron Michael Butler is a percussionist/composer currently based in Athens, OH. He regularly presents concerts of contemporary solo and chamber music, and has been active in the creation of new works through commissioning composers of his generation. Recent performance highlights include the 2013 Athens International Film Festival, 2012/14 Percussive Arts Society International Conventions, the 2014 Ohio University World Music and Dance Festival with marimbist Pei-Ching Wu, a performance with Luciano Chessa's Orchestra of Futurist Noise Intoners in 2015, and the 2016 Nelsonville Music Festival. In 2010 Aaron founded the NOBROW.collective; in conjunction with the Athens International Film Festival NOBROW has commissioned Deep Earth - a large-scale, multimedia work - from composer Matthew Burtner which was premiered in April 2014.

As a composer, he frequently collaborates with artists from other disciplines including choreographers Ani Javian and Travis Gatling, filmmaker Chris Lange, and Bristol-based potter Steve Carter. His recent work includes commissions from Andrew Trachsel and the Ohio University Wind Symphony, percussionist Kyle Lutes, and a choral work for the Cincinnati Soundwebs project.

Aaron holds degrees in percussion performance from Ohio University and Centenary College of Louisiana where he studied with Roger Braun, Guy Remonko and Chan Teague. He is currently adjunct professor of music at Ohio University.

Character Development

Instructor: David Smith

Date: Monday, January 27, February 10, 24, March 2, 16

(Dates course will not meet: Feb 3, 17, Mar 9)

Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Cost: $50

Description: Character development is an approach to ethics that focuses on the characteristics of noble people. While most moral theories focus on what it means to do good, theories of virtue focus on what it means to be good. What are the characteristics of good people? Reflections on this question are ancient, with thinkers like Aristotle and Jesus in the West, and the Buddha and Confucius in the East, addressing it. Courage, self-control, compassion, and generosity are among the many virtues that are universally valued. In this course we look at the virtues, their value, their connection to behavior, what ancient and contemporary sources say about them, and the processes by which we humans can develop them.

Instructor: Dr. David E. Smith grew up in the world of fundamentalist Christianity. As an adult, he gradually moved away from that perspective and became a religious progressive/skeptic. After earning an M.A. in philosophy of religion, he received a second M.A. and a Ph.D. in religious studies from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Formerly a full-time philosophy and religious studies faculty member at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA, he now teaches for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Washington and offers workshops and seminars in religion and philosophy through Beliefs and Ethics Seminars, which he founded. He has published in these areas as well. In 2019 and 2020 he will be lecturing on civil discourse for Humanities Washington. His mission is to empower people to think for themselves about things that matter.

Venice: A History **Cancelled**

Instructor: James Rigali

Date: Tuesday, March 10, 17, 24, 31

Time: 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Cost: $45

Description: Today the city of Venice is a city of and for tourists. Sometimes called Disneyland for Adults, nearly ten million tourists visit Venice each year to experience its beauty and romance. It is a city like no other and so is its history. At the height of its power Venice was the third largest city in Western Europe with a maritime empire that controlled much of the trade between Europe and Asia. This series will look at the rich history of the Republic of Venice beginning with its humble start as a refuge from the invasion of Attila the Hun to its rise as a major city-state controlling the trade and commerce of the Mediterranean. It will also explore its role in the Crusades as well as its long war with the Turks for supremacy in the region. The series will also examine Venice’s role in the Renaissance and its importance in creating the institutions of modern finance such as the banking and insurance industries. The series will end with a look at modern Venice from the invasion of Napoleon Bonaparte in the 1790s to the invasion of the tourists in the 20th Century.

Instructor: James Rigali earned his Ph.D. in history at the University of Washington. He has taught American History at Pacific Lutheran and North Seattle Community College, as well as the University of Washington. Previous classes for Osher include Sports and Society in America, History of the American Revolution, Critical Presidential Elections and The Presidency of John F. Kennedy.

Solar System and Others **Cancelled**

Instructor: Julie Lutz

Date: Thursday, February 20, 27, March 5

Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Cost: $35

Description: The complexity of our solar system is overwhelming. Mankind started out knowing about the sun, the moon and five planets with the occasional intrusion of a comet or a “shooting star”. Today we know of eight major planets, an ever-increasing number of dwarf planets, hundreds of planetary satellites, tens of thousands of asteroids and an untold number of comets. In the first part of this course we will explore the contents and history of our solar system, emphasizing many recent discoveries. We will then consider what is known so far about planets around other stars, a story which began with the discovery of the first one in 1985 (which garnered a Nobel Prize award in 2019). Now we have thousands of exoplanets discovered. We will talk about what is known so far about these distant worlds.

Instructor: Julie Lutz has been a Research Professor in the UW Department of Astronomy for more than 20 years. Before that she spent 28 years on the faculty at Washington State University. Her research specialty is the evolution of stars, particularly ones that our like our Sun. In addition to her research, Julie has a strong interest in astronomy education and outreach. She has done curriculum development for pre-service teachers, workshops for practicing teachers, projects with museums and science centers and mentoring for the UW in the High School Program.

Blockchain and Bitcoin 101

Instructor: Zachary Nelson

Date: Friday, January 10, 17, 24, 31

Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Cost: $45

Description: In 2017 with the price of Bitcoin reaching almost $20,000 and shortly after crashing, mainstream media from around the world began to focus on blockchain technology. However, bitcoin was just the beginning. There are now hundreds of applications of blockchain and thousands of cryptocurrencies. This class hopes to address basic questions around the story of bitcoins creation, how the technology works, and how blockchain and cryptocurrency is being used around the world. No technical experience necessary, bring your questions! Open to anyone who is curious to learn.

Instructor: Zachary Nelson is the Co-Founder and President of the Blockchain Society at the University of Washington. He mined his first bitcoin in 2011, and has been a leading thought leader in the blockchain ecosystem since the formation of the industry and he has been featured in numerous news outlets. He has worked at blockchain companies such as Ripple, Loyalcoin, and founded the NPO Blockchain NW. He also co-founded the BlockchainNW blockchain hackathon and has taught about blockchain technology at MIT, NYU, CMU, Oregon, UW and many more. Zachary is a senior at the University of Washington, double majoring in media & communications and global studies.

Garden Pruning **Cancelled**

Instructor: Christina Pfeiffer

Date: Wednesday, February 5, March 11 (reschedule)

(Dates course will not meet: Feb 12)

Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Cost: $35

Description: This two session course covers topics:

How to Prune…so you don't have to prune so often

Pruning Spring Blooming Shrubs for Optimal Bloom and Year-round Beauty

Pruning of Trees and Shrubs through the Seasons

How to Prune the Overgrown Garden

Instructor: Christina is a horticulture writer, educator and consultant with 40 years experience in landscape management and arboriculture. Sustainable and efficient landscape techniques are a special area of interest and expertise. In addition to her private practice, she is a part-time consulting associate with Urban Forestry Services, Inc. She led landscape management efforts at the Holden Arboretum and Washington Park Arboretum. A frequent speaker for local horticulture groups and public programs as well as the NW Flower and Garden Show, she has also taught at local community colleges and at the University of Washington. She holds degrees in horticulture from Michigan State and the University of Washington, and is an ISA Certified Arborist®.

Contemporary Ethics 1 **Live Stream Only

Instructor: David Smith

Date: Friday, February 21, 28, March 6, 13, 20

Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Cost: $50

**David Smith will be teaching this course remotely. You can view the live stream at Rosehill Community Center, live stream from home or watch recordings of it.

Description: An overview of moral theories in circulation today, including relativism, divine command theory, egoism, utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue theory, and application of those theories to the issues of abortion, capital punishment, war, and end of life ethics (suicide, termination of life support, physician-aided dying, and euthanasia).

Instructor: Dr. David E. Smith grew up in the world of fundamentalist Christianity. As an adult, he gradually moved away from that perspective and became a religious progressive/skeptic. After earning an M.A. in philosophy of religion, he received a second M.A. and a Ph.D. in religious studies from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Formerly a full-time philosophy and religious studies faculty member at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA, he now teaches for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Washington and offers workshops and seminars in religion and philosophy through Beliefs and Ethics Seminars, which he founded. He has published in these areas as well. In 2019 and 2020 he will be lecturing on civil discourse for Humanities Washington. His mission is to empower people to think for themselves about things that matter.

From Neoclassicism to Realism

Instructor: Kolya Rice

Date: Thursday, January 9, 16, 23, 30

Time: 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Cost: $45

Description: This introductory art history course traces key developments and themes explored by prominent American and European from the mid-18th to the mid-19th century. Emphasis will be placed on how the arts of this time responded to their cultural and social contexts, and why artists found it important to expand beyond traditional artistic forms and subjects associated with the powerful Academies. Though illustrated lectures anchor the course, discussion will always be encouraged.

Session One and Two: The Grand Manner and Neoclassical Painting and Sculpture

These sessions start by tracing the development of the Royal Academies in France and England and expounding the aesthetic philosophy of Classicism. Then, we will explore how the artists responded to their unique social and cultural contexts through their selection of subjects and changes in style. Key artists include West, Kauffman, David, Ingres and Gros.

Session Three: Romanticism in France and Spain

This session begins by exploring the debates in the in the French Academy between the Poussinistes and Rubenistes where the aesthetic philosophy of Romanticism was developed. From here we will explore in depth the work of select painters in France and Spain, with emphasis place on how they responded to their political contexts. Key artists include Gericault, Delacroix and Goya.

Session Four: Romanticism in England, Germany and the United States

This session explores how Romanticism was adopted in Germany, England and the United States, each country fostering its own subjects and themes. The session will conclude with an illustrate discussion of how key approaches found in Romanticism sewed the seeds of modern arts. Key artists include Fuseli, Turner, Friedrich, Cole, Church and Bierstadt.

Instructor: Kolya Rice was awarded a Ph.C. (ABD) in modern and contemporary art history and criticism from the University of Washington and received his M.A. from Rice University. He has taught a wide range of courses on western art, theory and criticism at the UW, Seattle University and the University of Puget Sound over the last decade. He is currently a Lecturer in the UW’s Art History Department and an Associate Professor at Cascadia College.

Room: Snoqualmie

Germs in the News 2020

Instructor: Winston Brill

Date: Tuesday, January 14, 21, 28, February 4, 11 (Rescheduled)

Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Feb 11 time: 9:30 - 11:30 AM)

Cost: $45

Description: This course will focus on interesting discoveries made in the past 12 months. No background in biology or enrollment in a previous “Germs” course is necessary. Concepts will be explained in an entertaining and simple manner. “Germs” will be handed out at the beginning of each lecture.

Topics include: gut bacteria and medications; the latest on probiotics; even more problems from antibiotics; new diseases; dangerous germs lurking in your vegetable drawer; your doc’s white coat; current flu season; bacteria making electrical wires; fighting cancer with bacteria; global warming and a deadly fungus; and whatever else, germy, is making the news.

Instructor: Winston Brill has received national and international recognition for his research, including the Eli Lilly Award as “the most outstanding microbiologist under the age of 40 in the U.S. and Canada,” and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Award for “the most important breakthrough in the agricultural sciences.” Business Week identified him as one of the top ten most innovative scientists. Dr. Brill was featured in the television series Nova, CBS Evening News, Time, and Newsweek. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Brill was a professor at the University of Wisconsin, visiting professor at the University of Washington, founder of a biotech company, and consultant and speaker on creativity and innovation. He has taught at least one Osher course each year in the past eleven years.

Room: Snoqualmie

Introductory Drawing Class

Instructor: Miha Sarani

Date: Wednesday, February 5, 12, 19, 26

Time: 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Cost: $50.00 (*Additional supplies needed for course)

Description:

The focus of this class will be fun through art-making. Students will be encouraged to explore individual passions for art while engaging in drawing with graphite, charcoal, etc. Flexible structure of this class will provide a relaxed and fun environment to fuel your artistic expression, although we will cover some basic elements of drawing. Any level of skill is welcomed.

*Students will need to bring their own supplies, which include:

- pencils, erasers, drawing paper pad (Bristol board preferred)

- vine charcoal, newsprint paper pad, knitted eraser

- for wet media: watercolor brushes, watercolor set, India or Sumi ink

- small rag, scissors

-other medium according to student preference

Instructor:

Miha Sarani is a visual artist and an art historian. Born and raised in Ljubljana, Slovenia, he received a BFA and an MA from the University of Washington. Miha’s work has been shown at fine art museums and galleries, featured in art journals and on music album covers. His large Koncentrik Painting series are owned and display at the University of Washington’s Mary Gates Hall. Miha is a member of Shift gallery in Seattle. He lives and works in Seattle.

Geology of National Parks II

Instructor: Donn Charnley

Date: Tuesday, February 11, 18, 25, March 3

Time: 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Cost: $45

Description: The first National Park, Yellowstone, was created by Congress on March 1, 1872. As of 2015, there are 59 Parks and 117 National Monuments listed on the Park web site, plus over 400 other places, such as National Seashores, designated as being worthy of protection and preservation because of the spectacular, and often fragile, geologic features they contain. *We shall discuss the Parks listed below which feature plate tectonics, glaciation, wind and shorelines. ■ Acadia ■ Death Valley ■ Great Sand dunes ■ Great Smoky Mountains ■ Glacier ■ Isle Royale ■ Mount Rainer ■ North Cascades ■ Olympic Mountains ■ Rocky Mountain ■ Tetons ■ Yosemite - plus those National Monuments and National Seashores which fit this subject area.

Instructor: Donn is an Emeritus Professor of Geology at Shoreline Community College. He earned a MS in Geology from the UW in 1960. He taught 10 years in Seattle Public Schools and 32 years at Shoreline CC. In 1970 he was elected to the Washington State Legislature, where he served for 14 years. He has presented courses in Geologic topics for Bellevue College since 2015. His Interests include: politics, community service, skiing, hiking, sailing, traveling, and Northwest Native Culture.

Room: Osher Theater

The Earth’s Climate Machine - How Our Planet and Our Species Will Determine Humanity’s Future **Cancelled**

Instructor: Stanley Chernicoff

Date: Thursday, February 27, March 5, 12, 19, 26

Time: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Cost: $50

Description: The seas will rise. The coasts will flood. Hurricanes will become more frequent, more intense, and more destructive. Glaciers will vanish from our mountains. Coral reefs will bleach and die. And, people will starve. None of this is “hoax.” As the CO2-composition of the atmosphere continues to rise past 450ppm, our planet will warm, and all of these effects – and many more – will ensue. Perhaps it would be wise to understand why this is happening today -- so that humanity might arrest some of the worst of these calamities. This short course on the Earth’s climate and climate change explains the dual roles that geology and plate tectonics and the Earth-Sun astronomical partnership play in determining the Earth’s climate. Most importantly, we will examine the critical part that humanity plays in the “fouling" of its own nest.

Instructor: Stan Chernicoff has brought geology alive to roughly 45,000 bright and curious students during his 30-year teaching career at UW. He was the recipient of the University’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2000 and the 2005 James Clowes Award for the enhancement of academic learning communities on campus. A 38-year Seattle resident – Stan has been studying the geology of the Pacific Northwest since 1980 after arriving here from the University of Minnesota with his newly minted PhD in Glacial and Quaternary Geomorphology. He is deeply committed to sharing his knowledge of the Northwest’s ever-present geological dangers with his Seattle neighbors so that they may both appreciate and prepare for the myriad geologic hazards in this special corner of the world. Onrushing climate change is one of the most significant of these dangers.

Room: Snoqualmie

Secret Lives of Birds We Love **Cancelled**

Instructor: Connie Sidles

Date: Tuesday, March 3, 10, 17, 24

Time: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Cost: $45

Description: Seattle may be bursting at the seams with people, but it is even more crowded with birds. As we go about our daily lives, thousands of birds do the same - away from our perceptions, out of our control, wild and free, yet bound to our lives as we are bound to theirs. Join master birder Connie Sidles as she takes us into the secret lives of the urban birds we love best: hummingbirds, crows, owls, and raptors. The more we know about the birds that live all around us, the more connected we can feel to our own world. Come - the birds await!

Instructor: Constance Sidles is a master birder, a former member of the board of Seattle Audubon Society, and former chair and current member of the Conservation Committee. She has written four books about nature. Her most recent work, entitled "Forty-Six Views of Montlake Fill," is a book of poems and Sumi paintings about how to find joy in the connections we make with nature and with each other. Sidles graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in Egyptology, which proved to be enlightening but not lucrative. Instead of working on ancient cultures, Connie has spent her career working on current issues, especially environmental preservation. She began birding in her local "backyard" - the Montlake Fill, an old landfill now restored and renamed UW Union Bay Natural Area - in 1986. She goes there nearly every day to see what there is to see.

Room: Osher Theater

The Caribbean, Cradle of Revolutionaries: Christopher Columbus 1492, Toussaint L'Overture 1791, José Martí (1898) and Fidel Castro, 1959

Instructor: Carlos Gil

Date: Friday, January 31, February 7, 14, 21

Time: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Cost: $45

Description: This course offers an illustrated examination of four men who changed the course of events for the people of the Caribbean, and beyond. Christopher Columbus 1492, Toussaint L'Overture 1791, José Martí (1898) and Fidel Castro, 1959. We'll take a look at the way each of them revolutionized the region creating long lasting legacies worthy of consideration.

Instructor: Carlos B. Gil is an Emeritus History Professor of the University of Washington where he taught the Latin American history, culture and politics, including Modern Mexico. He also taught The Hispanic Peoples of the United States.

The Earth’s Climate Machine - How Our Planet and Our Species Will Determine Humanity’s Future

Instructor: Stanley Chernicoff

Date: Wednesday, January 15, 22, 29 February 5 , 12, 19 (Rescheduled)

Time: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM (February 12 from 2:00 - 4:00 PM)

Cost: $50

Description: The seas will rise. The coasts will flood. Hurricanes will become more frequent, more intense, and more destructive. Glaciers will vanish from our mountains. Coral reefs will bleach and die. And, people will starve. None of this is “hoax.” As the CO2-composition of the atmosphere continues to rise past 450ppm, our planet will warm, and all of these effects – and many more – will ensue. Perhaps it would be wise to understand why this is happening today -- so that humanity might arrest some of the worst of these calamities. This short course on the Earth’s climate and climate change explains the dual roles that geology and plate tectonics and the Earth-Sun astronomical partnership play in determining the Earth’s climate. Most importantly, we will examine the critical part that humanity plays in the “fouling" of its own nest.

Instructor: Stan Chernicoff has brought geology alive to roughly 45,000 bright and curious students during his 30-year teaching career at UW. He was the recipient of the University’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2000 and the 2005 James Clowes Award for the enhancement of academic learning communities on campus. A 38-year Seattle resident – Stan has been studying the geology of the Pacific Northwest since 1980 after arriving here from the University of Minnesota with his newly minted PhD in Glacial and Quaternary Geomorphology. He is deeply committed to sharing his knowledge of the Northwest’s ever-present geological dangers with his Seattle neighbors so that they may both appreciate and prepare for the myriad geologic hazards in this special corner of the world. Onrushing climate change is one of the most significant of these dangers.

Room: Emerald Hall

Music and Shakespeare

Instructor: Luke Duroc-Danneri

Date: Friday, January 17, 24, 31, February 7

Time: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Cost: $45

Description: This course will explore on the role that music played in Shakespeare’s plays both in the Elizabethan period and in the intervening centuries. We will also explore larger questions of the relationship in performance between music and drama as well as questions of diegetic music and incidental music. Alongside some lecture and discussion, we will watch and discuss excerpts from filmed performances that incorporate live music.

Instructor: Luke Duroc-Danner is a conductor, singer, pianist, and organist. Currently, Luke is currently pursuing his Masters of Music degree in Choral Conducting at the University of Washington. He holds a B.A. in Music from the University of Chicago where his thesis on Mendelssohn’s Elijah was awarded honors by the music faculty. He co-conducts the University Singers, and he serves as the choir director at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Des Moines, WA.

Room: UW Main Campus, Allen Library Auditorium

Russia, Ukraine and the US: An Unlikely Troika in the 21st Century

Instructor: David Fenner

Date: Tuesday, January 28, February 4

Time: 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Cost: $35

Description: Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, events and policies have brought the once-Cold War adversaries into (and out of) a shifting set of relationships. We shall explore the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the presidency of Boris Yeltsin, the rise of Vladimir Putin, the annexation of Crimea, Russian election interference and the perhaps reticent emergence onto the world stage - and into American politics - of Ukraine.

Instructor: David Fenner is an affiliate faculty member at the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies. His MA is in Russian Literature and his first of many visits to the Soviet Union (and later Russia) was in 1973. In the late 70s he studied at Leningrad State University. Fenner later served as the UW’s Assistant Vice Provost for International Education.

Room: UW Main Campus, Winkenwerder 201

French and Indian War

Instructor: James Rigali

Date: Tuesday, February 11, 18, 25, March 3

Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Cost: $45

Description: In 1754 George Washington and a small band of Virginia colonial militiamen would engage the French army in a minor battle in the woods of western Pennsylvania. This minor battle had enormous consequences. It would spark the first truly global war involving three great powers of the 1700s—England, France (as well as their colonial allies in North America) and the Native American Iroquois League. That war would be fought not just in North America and Europe, but also in Africa, India, and the Caribbean. Although most Americans know little about this war it had long lasting impact in America and Europe. It would determine which European nation would control the North American continent and establish Great Britain as the dominant colonial power of the 1700s but at the same time help set the stage for the American Revolution and French Revolution.

Instructor: James Rigali earned his Ph.D. in history at the University of Washington. He has taught American History at Pacific Lutheran and North Seattle Community College, as well as the University of Washington. Previous classes for Osher include Sports and Society in America, History of the American Revolution, Critical Presidential Elections and The Presidency of John F. Kennedy.

Room: UW Main Campus, Allen Library Auditorium

From Neoclassicism to Realism **Cancelled**

Instructor: Kolya Rice

Date: Friday, February 28, March 6, 13, 20

Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Cost: $45

Description: This introductory art history course traces key developments and themes explored by prominent American and European from the mid-18th to the mid-19th century. Emphasis will be placed on how the arts of this time responded to their cultural and social contexts, and why artists found it important to expand beyond traditional artistic forms and subjects associated with the powerful Academies. Though illustrated lectures anchor the course, discussion will always be encouraged.

Session One and Two: The Grand Manner and Neoclassical Painting and Sculpture

These sessions start by tracing the development of the Royal Academies in France and England and expounding the aesthetic philosophy of Classicism. Then, we will explore how the artists responded to their unique social and cultural contexts through their selection of subjects and changes in style. Key artists include West, Kauffman, David, Ingres and Gros.

Session Three: Romanticism in France and Spain

This session begins by exploring the debates in the in the French Academy between the Poussinistes and Rubenistes where the aesthetic philosophy of Romanticism was developed. From here we will explore in depth the work of select painters in France and Spain, with emphasis place on how they responded to their political contexts. Key artists include Gericault, Delacroix and Goya.

Session Four: Romanticism in England, Germany and the United States

This session explores how Romanticism was adopted in Germany, England and the United States, each country fostering its own subjects and themes. The session will conclude with an illustrate discussion of how key approaches found in Romanticism sewed the seeds of modern arts. Key artists include Fuseli, Turner, Friedrich, Cole, Church and Bierstadt.

Instructor: Kolya Rice was awarded a Ph.C. (ABD) in modern and contemporary art history and criticism from the University of Washington and received his M.A. from Rice University. He has taught a wide range of courses on western art, theory and criticism at the UW, Seattle University and the University of Puget Sound over the last decade. He is currently a Lecturer in the UW’s Art History Department and an Associate Professor at Cascadia College.

Room: UW Main Campus, Allen Library Auditorium

10 African American Women:

Models of Success, Overcoming Hurdles and Making a Difference **Cancelled**

Instructor: Dr. Wilson Reed

Date: Wednesday, March 4, 11, 18, 25

Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Cost: $45

Description:

This important course looks at 10 African American women from diverse backgrounds that overcame major hurdles and obstacles such as classism, sexism, racism and poverty. Specifically, the Wall Street Journal reported in early 2019 African American women faced a wider pay gap than white women and often face difficulty obtaining money and resources to start their own businesses nationwide. How did the 10 women such as Oprah Winfrey and others navigate social, political and economic forces to overcome childhood trauma and poor self-esteem?

After taking this course participants will gain an appreciation of African American women struggles to achieve the American dream.

Instructor:

Dr. Wilson Edward Reed has taught a range of courses of courses on African American history, cultures and lifestyles at Seattle University, Washington State and University of Washington. Reed grew up in rural Redwood, Mississippi and moved to Seattle in 1969 where he learned of educational opportunities at the University of Washington. He would go on to earn 4 degrees at Universities nationwide. Reed feels that teaching and learning should be fun and exciting. He has traveled to Rome, Paris, Australia and Canada and lived in several States in the USA. He loves adventure and sharing his knowledge with others. He consider himself to be a great listener and community builder in the classroom.

Room: UW Main Campus, Allen Library Auditorium

Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck **CANCELLED**

Instructor: Paul Jacob

Date: Monday, March 9, 16, 23, 30, April 6

Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Cost: $50

Description:

This class will journey along with John Steinbeck and his French Poodle, Charley, as they travel across America together during the 1961 presidential election between Richard M. Nixon and John F. Kennedy. We will look deeply into the concepts of community, regionalism, nostalgia, home and place within the 21st century American landscape and mindset. We will see that many of the topics that Steinbeck brings up in this book are still major issues in our world today. This is Steinbeck at his most accessible, as he reveals his sense of humor, a keen and descriptive understanding of various places, and his love for his dog. Students should bring a copy of the book to class.

Instructor:

Jake has a B.A. in Journalism and a M.A. in Writing and Consciousness Studies. He has taught English, Journalism, Creative Writing, and classes on World Religions/Spiritual Thought for colleges in Florida and New York. In addition, Jake was the Co-Founder and Editorial Director of Modern Nomad magazine. He also leads contemplative retreats at spiritual and religious centers throughout the U.S. His work as a journalist, student of world religions, and retreat leader has led him to 30 countries and 48 states. He has had several books published by presses in the U.S. and Canada, including Blue Collar Nomad, Nomadic Devotion, Falling onto the Ground, and A Wandering Train to Now. Jake is a faculty member of the English Department at Lake Washington Institute of Technology.

Room: UW Main Campus, Allen Library Auditorium

Solar System and Others **Cancelled**

Instructor: Julie Lutz

Date: Wednesday, March 4, 11, 18

Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Cost: $35

Description: The complexity of our solar system is overwhelming. Mankind started out knowing about the sun, the moon and five planets with the occasional intrusion of a comet or a “shooting star”. Today we know of eight major planets, an ever-increasing number of dwarf planets, hundreds of planetary satellites, tens of thousands of asteroids and an untold number of comets. In the first part of this course we will explore the contents and history of our solar system, emphasizing many recent discoveries. We will then consider what is known so far about planets around other stars, a story which began with the discovery of the first one in 1985 (which garnered a Nobel Prize award in 2019). Now we have thousands of exoplanets discovered. We will talk about what is known so far about these distant worlds.

Instructor: Julie Lutz has been a Research Professor in the UW Department of Astronomy for more than 20 years. Before that she spent 28 years on the faculty at Washington State University. Her research specialty is the evolution of stars, particularly ones that our like our Sun. In addition to her research, Julie has a strong interest in astronomy education and outreach. She has done curriculum development for pre-service teachers, workshops for practicing teachers, projects with museums and science centers and mentoring for the UW in the High School Program.

Room: UW Main Campus, Allen Library Auditorium