Learn to use a variety of approaches to the medium of embroidery while taking inspiration from the Smithsonian collection. Explore the history of embroidery back to the Middle Ages and together analyze the art form while practicing in a series of guided exercises.
The Declaration of Independence paints King George III as a notorious villain and justifies the Revolution as necessary to sever ties with him. In reality, says historian Patrick Allitt, he was a sober, conscientious man, serious about his limited role in Britain’s constitutional monarchy—and eager to prevent the colonial rebellion, then to defeat it when it began. Allitt revisits the story of why he failed.
Shakespeare’s Hamlet is considered one of the greatest works in English literature. Literature professor Joseph Luzzi explores this play about murder, revenge, and madness that resonates with generations of readers and viewers. He also highlights Shakespeare’s philosophical brilliance, linguistic inventiveness, and ability to capture the most complex—and often unsettling—human emotions.
In 1937, our expectations of fairy tales were forever changed when Walt Disney Productions released Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Yet the film is only a part of a bigger “Snow White” tradition. Folklorists Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman do a deep dive into that history, revealing folkloric and literary tales that provided the bedrock preceding Disney’s version and examining how the story has been retold in contemporary times.
Insects surged to ecological dominance by evolving larvae—grubs, maggots, and caterpillars—with extraordinary survival strategies and life cycle advantages. Wildlife documentary filmmaker Steve Nicholls explores their remarkable origins and the ingenious ways these vulnerable young thrive, from impersonating predators to forming intricate social networks.
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.
Late in the fifth century B.C.E., ancient China set in motion a revolution that set the course of world history for the following two millennia and a half. Through war, diplomacy, debate, commerce, philosophy, literature, science, and artistic expression, a radically new social order emerged. Andrew Seth Meyer, an expert in early Chinese history, surveys one of the most fertile and significant periods in history.
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)
