Courses

107 Days at Sea: The Journey That Changed Everything

In this lecture, Jill Chalsty shares the story behind her memoir, 'Packets of Hope: A Journey of Healing and Rediscovery,' inviting participants to travel alongside her through the ports she visited, the people she met, and the reflections that transformed personal adversity into strength and global impact.

Monday, December 21, Synchronous Online

Art In Captivity: Japanese Incarceration Camps in WWII

Imagine being wrongfully imprisoned for nearly four years and turning to art to help you describe, remember, and cope with imprisonment for 'looking like the enemy.' Explore the artists and their works, including arts and crafts, photography, and sculpture, and delve into the vocational skills made available in the ten camps. Learn more about the artists who survived the camps and later became famous in their respective fields after the war. GAMAN: endure with dignity.

Wednesday, Nov 18, Synchronous Online

Behind the Letters: Exploring Typeface Design

Have you ever wondered who shapes the letters that fill our screens, books, and storefronts? Take a journey into the world of typeface design, where artistry meets functionality. In this class, we will explore both the art and science behind crafting typefaces, learn about some of the creative minds behind the fonts we use, and discuss how their work may influence our daily lives.

Friday, Dec 11, G62 Rare Book Room

Discover Your NeuroCreative Mind

Discover simple, science-informed tools to help improve mental clarity, creative thinking, and cognitive engagement at any age. Through practical exercises and real-world examples, participants will explore neuroplasticity, break repetitive thinking patterns, and learn ways to stay mentally active, adaptable, and inspired in everyday life.

Thursday, Oct 29, Synchronous Online

Five Revolutions That Changed the World

Thomas Jefferson once wrote to James Madison, 'I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing and is as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.' The American Revolution changed the course of world history and was a model for others. However, other revolutions have had similar effects. We will examine five of them to answer why societies seek change, either through violent or non-violent means.

Thursdays, Sept 17, 24, Oct 1, 8, 15, Synchronous Online

Food As Art: What We Eat Manifests Who We Are

For centuries, artists have been fascinated by the aesthetic qualities of what we eat. Renaissance artists created masterful portraits out of assemblages of fruits and vegetables, while Andy Warhol painted majestic soup cans. In this session we will explore how artists use food images to communicate political views, comment on society, and make statements of values.

Monday, Dec 14, Synchronous Online

Frankenstein and Print Culture

Let's examine Mary Shelley's 1818 work 'Frankenstein' not as story but as book and object. Through the lens of print culture, we will explore the history of the book itself to understand Frankenstein as a living cultural object, asking how each form of the book changed and sometimes transformed itself across two hundred years of publishing history to become the cultural touchstone it is today.

Friday, Oct 16, Synchronous Online

Happy Halloween: Art that is Scary, Strange, or Just Plain Weird

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 them. Come join us in examining scary art to discover why certain artists want to shock and disturb us with their works. Costumes and masks are optional!

Friday, Oct 30, Synchronous Online

National Osher Online - Power and the People: The Evolution of the US Federal Judiciary

The American Experiment began with the Declaration of Independence and led to the creation of the federal judiciary, one of the country's greatest experiments. We will trace the evolution of the courts from their English roots to their formal establishment, explore how the Supreme Court derives its authority from its ability to connect with the people and protect democracy, and examine the creation of the federal judiciary and the power of the Marshall Court. Note: The new refund policy applies.

Thursdays; Oct 15, 22, 29, Nov 5, 12, 19, Synchronous Online

National Osher Online - The Invisible Thread: 3,500 Years of Global Supply Chain

We often only notice the global supply chain when it breaks. Yet for millennia, the movement of goods has been the silent engine of civilization. Let's track the evolution of trade from an executive's perspective. From the sunken treasures of Bronze Age merchant ships to the high-tech intermodal systems of today, we will explore the vessels that carried the world's wealth and the complex networks that keep our modern shelves stocked. Note: The new refund policy applies.

Mondays; Oct 19, 26, Nov 2, 9, 16, 23, Synchronous Online

Twentieth Century Song Hunters and Collectors

Song hunters and collectors contributed songs to the rich cultural heritage of American music, including folk, gospel, country, and blues. We will explore the songs found by A. P. Carter and Alan Lomax, leading directly to the folk revival. The song collector featured will be Harry Smith, who collected American folk music from the 20s-40s. Singers include the Carter Family, Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, and others.

Mondays, Nov 16, 23, 30, Dec 7, Synchronous Online

Virginia's Road to Revolution: A 'Conventional' History

Let's analyze Virginia's final two years as a royal colony and the actions and preparations her leadership engaged in, attempting to reconcile differences with the British government. We will review a series of five meetings/conventions convened by the colony's leaders to deal with the mounting crisis. The class will rely heavily on a close reading of primary documents from the period (letters, newspapers, legislation, and proclamations), many rarely read by the general public today.

Fridays; Oct 30, Nov 6, 13, 20, Dec 4, 11, Synchronous Online

Water in Art

Why and in what ways might an artist include water in an artwork? Is it tangential or is it central to the composition? In this session we will explore how artists have used water to convey their messages, meanings and their intentions: or simply to fill up a section of their artwork.

Monday, Nov 16, Synchronous Online

Why Not AI?

Hear a UR professor and author's recent research on consequences of AI use in education, media, and environmental management. She will discuss water and energy impacts on residents in the area due to the cumulative pressures of the more than 100 data centers that have been developed or are in the pipeline. Finley-Brook draws from experience as a resident of Chesterfield County, where dozens of hyperscale AI data centers are existing, under construction, or proposed.

Friday, Oct 23, Synchronous Online

Wonders and Blunders of Modern Medicine

Join this review of the recent history of Modern Medicine, highlighting how medicine has progressed during last 200 years. We'll provide a lighter touch on how it blundered but corrected its trajectory.

Wednesdays; Nov 11 and 18, Synchronous Online