Our modern world echoes creative vestiges of the past, so one key to understanding our surroundings is through an overview of ancient material culture. Focusing on the Mediterranean region, art historian Renee Gondek surveys art from the Greek “Dark Ages” through the early Christian period of ancient Rome. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit)
Complementing the exhibit "Women Artists from Antwerp to Amsterdam, 1600–1750" at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, a lecture by art historian Aneta Georgievska-Shine highlights Dutch and Flemish women’s contributions to 17th- and early 18th-century art. From renowned painters to lesser-known printmakers and sculptors, women shaped the artistic culture of the Low Countries. Despite social constraints, many built successful careers, proving their creative worth in a male-dominated world. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Smithsonian Associates speaker Paul Glenshaw returns to the Art + History series to look at great works of art in their historical context. In examining John Trumbull’s Declaration of Independence, he presents two narratives in tandem: the story of the Declaration of Independence and the events preceding and directly after July 4, 1776, and how they ultimately intersected with the multifaceted career of Trumbull, a soldier, artist, and diplomat who was on a first-name basis with the founders of the country. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)
Ages 6 to 12. Follow the lives of Olympians Jesse Owens and Wilma Rudolph from childhood infirmity to Olympic glory in this soaring musical.
While Romare Bearden worked in many mediums from oil and watercolor to printmaking, he is best known for his mixed-media collages and photomontages. After looking at Bearden’s works of art, students try their hand at creating Bearden-inspired mixed-media compositions.
Ages 5 to 10. Celebrate the holiday season with traditions from around the world.
Few national cinemas offer as compelling a mirror to social transformation as Italy’s. In the decades following World War II, Italian filmmakers shaped a legacy of innovation, reflection, and artistry that still resonates on the global stage. In a four-part series, art historian Jennie Hirsh explores pivotal moments in Italian cinema, from the birth of Neorealism to the bold experimentation of contemporary filmmakers, and how they captured—and questioned—their time. This session focuses on Italian filmmaking from the 1990s to today.
Join Tim Dolan, an actor and owner of Broadway Up Close tours in New York City, as he leads a virtual stroll that takes in the theaters at the northern end of the Broadway Theatre District from 47th Street to 54th Street. Along the way, discover how the stage was transformed in the 1960s and 1970s by the introduction of rock musicals with the landmark production of Hair, Via Galactica the first million-dollar show, and a belting orphan with a dog named Sandy.
