The term 'seven cities of Delhi' refers to the historical evolution of Delhi, from the 10th Century onwards, where successive rulers built new cities, each adding to the location's rich past. These cities, though distinct, are considered to have merged into modern-day Delhi. The seven cities are Lao Kot (Quila Rai Pithora), Siri, Tughlaqabad, Jahanpanah, Firozabad, Shergarh (Purana Quila) and Shahjahanabad. To this was added British New Delhi, followed by modern day post-Independence construction.

---

Monday, 11/24, TBD - UR Campus

This is a participatory study in 19th-Century Russian painting in which viewers will follow the most significant moments in the development of Russian art through selected paintings. The study is not a conventional art history course, but rather is an opportunity for participants to optimally engage and express the experience of aesthetic ecstasy evoked by the paintings. For this reason the class size will be limited.

---

Wednesday and Thursday, Oct 15 and 16, TBD - UR Campus ( No seats currently available )

Birds have captured the imagination of artists for centuries. Their beautiful songs, their seemingly effortless flight, and their colorful plumage make them ideal subjects to study and enjoy. Using artworks from the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the VMFA, we will examine the beauty of birds and discuss why artists have long used them for their artistic expression.

---

Monday, 11/24, Synchronous Online

Last year's biopic about Dylan's early career ('A Complete Unknown') rekindled an interest in how his songwriting and performance style evolved so rapidly in the little more than four years in which his first seven albums were released: from his eponymous debut in March 1962 through 'Blonde on Blonde' in June 1966. This course will examine each album in depth looking at the songs as well as the production values and critical response.

---

Monday, Oct 20, 27, Nov 3, TBD - UR Campus (4 seats (4%) remaining)

This class will take you on a musical tour of the history of the cello, featuring both lecture and musical examples played live. We will begin with a brief history of bowed string instruments, we'll toss in a little non-classical music, and end with a few holiday favorites in the Christian and Jewish traditions.

---

Friday, 12/12, NRCT, Room 124 (Choir Room) ( No seats currently available )

Join us for a fun-filled class making sterling silver chain maille jewelry. This pattern is a mix of the three-in-three pattern and the Half Byzantine pattern and is suitable for Beginners. All materials (sterling silver jumprings and clasps) will be provided and the instructor will bring tools to use during class. Your choice of bracelet or necklace (20' long).

---

Wednesdays, 11/12 & 11/19, TBD - UR Campus

Come to this class to learn about the long-term health benefits of just moving! BeMoved® embraces the joy of dance with people of all movement abilities. Movement expressed through dance and music has a transformative power that enriches a person's well-being above and beyond the well-known physical fitness benefits. BeMoved® is a dance fitness experience that begins with easy-to-follow therapeutic movements that flow into dance styles inspired by a wide variety of musical genres.

---

Tues, Sept 30, then all the rest on Mon, Oct 6, 13, 20, 27, Nov 3, 10, 17 (skip 24), Dec 1, 8, 15, THC, Alice Haynes Room (8 seats (20%) remaining)

The Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) has created the remarkably successful Dance for PD® Program. This innovative program was born from the idea that people with Parkinson's could benefit from the insight and specific techniques used by dancers to guide their own bodies and minds. This special two-part class will include an introductory lecture by the Dance for PD® Program Director and a live "movement" section led by an MMDG Teaching Artist for students to experience this unique program.

---

Friday, Sept 19, RB, Richmond Ballet (3 seats (10%) remaining)

This is an introductory class for those who do not know how to crochet. You will learn the basic crochet stitches, yarn weights, and hook sizes. Yarn and crochet hooks will be provided for the first class as well as patterns for simple projects.

---

Wednesdays; 9/10, 9/17 & 10/1 (SKIP 9/24)*Schedule updated to reflect NO class on 9/24, added session on 10/1, GOTW, Room C200 ( No seats currently available )

This class is for individuals who have basic knitting skills and want to take those skills to the next level. We will cover cables, knitting in the round, finishing techniques, and reading a pattern. If you want to upgrade your knitting ability or just need help with a project you have started, this class is for you.

---

Tuesdays; 12/2, 12/9 & 12/16, TBD - UR Campus (2 seats (13%) remaining)

This course will examine the life and work of singer/actor/activist Frank Sinatra. From humble beginnings, Sinatra emerged as a Big Band singing sensation prior to World War II. He was also a controversial figure: a friend of presidents who was also tied to underworld figures.

---

Thursday, 11/13 & Friday, 11/14, TBD - UR Campus ( No seats currently available )

Celebrate Halloween by viewing and discussing art that makes us uneasy. The artist may have intended to frighten the viewer, or viewers may react to this unusual art because it touches a dissonant cord in themselves. Come join us in examining scary art to discover why certain artists want to shock and disturb us with their works. Costumes and masks optional!

---

Friday, 10/31, Synchronous Online

Increase your connection to the natural world by slowing down to focus on drawing from observation and recording your experiences in a nature journal. Using pencils and/or pens and markers, quiet your mind and relax into the present moment by following guided drawing and journaling exercises. No experience is necessary for this fun and relaxing introductory class.

---

Wednesday, Oct 8, Synchronous Online (1 seats (4%) remaining)

Learn how to make your very own live evergreen wreath from instructor and local farmer Conner Parrish. We will work with grape vine wreaths and live greens from the farm. All materials will be included with the course.

---

Friday, 11/21, TBD - UR Campus
Friday, 11/21, TBD - UR Campus

Mughal Architecture in India refers to the distinctive Indo-Islamic style that flourished under the Mughal emperors from the 16th to 19th Centuries. This style is characterized by its use of arches, domes, and minarets, blending Persian, Turkish, and Indian architectural traditions. Key features include bulbous domes, slender minarets, large gateways and intricate ornamentation. Notable examples include the TajMahal, Red Fort in Delhi and Agra, Humayuns Tomb, Fatehpur Sikri, Jama Masjid, and Shalimar Gardens.

---

Monday, 11/17, TBD - UR Campus

Whether you're in Macon, Memphis, Muscle Shoals, or Massapequa, music matters, and our varied musical heritage is one of the best ways to understand crucial moments in American history. Let's explore Indigenous expressions, colonial invasion, forced African migration, and the cultural shifts of the 19th, 20th, and 21st Centuries.

---

Tuesdays, Oct 14, 21, 28, Nov 4, 11, 18, Synchronous Online ( No seats currently available )

We will examine the works of Monet, Renoir, Degas, Cassatt, and Morisot from the 1860s to the 1910s, exploring their stylistic and technical innovations, personal lives, and the cultural forces shaping their artistry.

---

Thursday, Oct 9, 16, 23, 30, Nov 6, 13, Synchronous Online ( No seats currently available )

Explore Motown's golden era (1950s-1970s) and its lasting impact on music and culture. We'll examine Motown's signature sound, groundbreaking artists, and role in breaking racial barriers. Featuring curated tracks and videos, we'll trace the label's evolution and cultural influence. The course concludes with a celebration of Motown's first 25 years and its enduring legacy.

---

Tuesdays, Oct 28, Nov 4, 11, 18, 25, Dec 2, Synchronous Online ( No seats currently available )

Have you tried to photograph the many celestial events we've heard about lately? With just a few tips, night photography can be easy. Osher instructor and wonderful photographer Bill Draper will share his techniques as well as his photos of the night skies in Virginia and from as far away as Texas, Colorado, and Ireland. Join us in viewing the aurora borealis, comets, planets, shooting stars, blue/new moons, and other beautiful celestial events.

---

Tuesday, Oct 7, TBD - UR Campus (7 seats (12%) remaining)

Discover the art of pressed flower design in a unique floating frame workshop! In this hands-on class, you'll learn how to select, arrange, and create a stunning 4x6 golden floating frame using delicate pressed flowers. Whether you're a beginner or a flower enthusiast, this creative workshop is a beautiful way to connect with nature and preserve its beauty in a lasting form.

---

Friday 9/19, Special Programs Building, Classroom 156 (1 seats (7%) remaining)

Join us for a short reception, then a concert featuring Dr. Crutcher, UR's President Emeritus, who will perform works by Beethoven, Eccles, Debussy, and Rachmaninoff followed by an interview with Melody Barnes about his thematic memoir, 'I Had No Idea You Were Black: Navigating Race on the Road to Leadership' as well as his upcoming book 'America's Achilles Heel: Inequity in Education as a Threat to American Democracy.'

---

Sunday, Oct 5, TBD - UR Campus ( No seats currently available )

Join this deep dive into the 2025-2026 Richmond Symphony Series concerts. Each class in this course will focus on the repertoire of the upcoming Symphony Series concert and feature a special guest with a critical role in the performance. Guests will include Music Director Valentina Peleggi, guest artists, and composers. Through recordings, images, scholarship, biographies, backstage stories, and discussion we will engage more deeply with the music and the artists who bring it to life.

---

Mondays; 9/15, 10/20 & 11/3, Synchronous Online

Through playful writing games inspired by Surrealist artists, we'll surprise ourselves with strange and delightful stories. No writing experience needed, just a willingness to have fun and see where your imagination goes.

---

Monday, Sept 29, Special Programs Building, Classroom 156

The power of advertising to influence and change public opinion is well-known. We'll explore some art that supports and encourages free speech, and some that seeks to limit or shut down our first amendment right to speak out.

---

Thursdays 9/18 & 9/25, BUS, Ukrop Auditorium Q162

This course offers an exploration of the Christmas story through works of art. The story has inspired artists to produce some of the most tender images created. Images have evolved over time along with changes in society and shifts in religious attitudes. Depictions of the Nativity moved from the mother and child to a scene with a cast of hundreds. Images depicting events preceding and following the Nativity are also examined.

---

Wednesday, 12/10, Synchronous Online

Class I will cover Universals in Music. Two musical parameters that all cultures share are heartbeat and voice. However, features which are unique to a particular culture's music may or may not make their music readily understandable. Class II focuses on five tools that composers use to write their music. Each of the tools will be illustrated with several musical examples.

---

Thursdays, Oct 2 and 9, TBD - UR Campus

FIELD TRIP This exhibition features artwork and artifacts that portray the spirit of Virginia: its past, its present, its landscape, and its people. The Art Experience at the Executive Mansion highlights works from a mix of genres and mediums with particular focus on Virginia artists and themes. It is a living display which will evolve and change over time as additional works of art become available and as different parts of the Virginia story become the focus. NOTE: This is a tour that will likely require long periods of standing. We cannot guarantee there will be seats available.

---

Tuesday, 9/23, Virginia Executive Mansion (5 seats (25%) remaining)
Tuesday, 9/30, Virginia Executive Mansion ( No seats currently available )

Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, known as Raphael, was a young contemporary of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. When critics speak of Raphael, they tend to come up with the same word to describe the genius in his work: grace. It is said that his works reflect his character. He was charming, handsome, and insanely talented. It's thought he might have been the happiest, most successful, and best-loved artist in history.

---

Wednesdays, Oct 15, 22, 29, Nov 5, 12, 19, Synchronous Online

The proliferation of skyscrapers in the early 20th Century gave artists new inspiration for rendering landscapes. Rather than the lush vista of greenery, steel and concrete became their passion. In this session, we will explore the many ways our urban landscapes have been used to communicate both the beauty and the challenge of urban life.

---

Monday, 12/1, Synchronous Online

Join us for a new two-part class at VMFA. The first part will trace VMFA history with a focus on growth and development of a world-class American Art collection. The second part is a 'wildcard' to be identified close to the class date. We assure you that both parts will be special experiences for those who attend. There will be an opportunity to meet afterward at VMFA's Best Cafe for further discussion and socializing.

---

Thursday, Oct 2, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts ( No seats currently available )

Come and enjoy this survey of music from the Baroque era and the people who composed it. During the course, the structure of new forms that emerged will be studied through musical examples taken from concerti, dance suites, fugues, and operas. Students will come away with a clearer understanding of this music and its position in the development of larger forms in the Classical era.

---

Thursday, 10/30, TBD - UR Campus ( No seats currently available )