The three voyages of Captain James Cook from 1768 to 1779 were filled with high drama, tragedy, intrigue, and humor. Historian Justin M. Jacobs places Cook and his world in historical context, highlights his substantive connections with the Polynesian world, and examines his search for the “Great Southern Continent” and Northwest Passage.
Explore the key role of knitting in American women’s battle to gain the right to vote, the survival of the musk ox, and anthropological understanding of past cultures and the rise and fall of civilizations. In fact, knitting has played a role in world history many times. Learn just how powerful a beloved handicraft can be.
Spenda fascinating Friday evening expanding your knowledge of the world of wine as you sip along with sommelier Erik Segelbaum in a series of delectable adventures. He explores the versatility of Paso Robles. Each immersive program includes a curated personal tasting kit to enhance the experience.
Students discover the history, origins, and special characteristics of the Textura style of Blackletter calligraphy, one of the major typefaces in the history of Western typography. Learn the use of proper proportions and construction of minuscule and majuscule letters, numbers, and punctuation marks.
Ages 7 to 11. Learn about the systems which built and shape our Mother Earth from her molten beginnings to her many ecosystems of today!
The horn is one of the first instruments to appear in the texts of the Abrahamic faiths—Judaism, Islam, and Christianity—and as each faith has forged its place in the American experience, each has announced itself in its own way with the horn. Featuring the music of brass bands, the sounding of the shofar, and more, this program explores how American spiritual communities use the horn today to celebrate their faith in harmony.
After its disappointing air combat performance over Vietnam, the U.S. set out to improve its training of fighter pilots. Among the initiatives was a top-secret project launched in the late 1970s that pitted clandestinely obtained Soviet MiGs flown by a cadre of highly experienced pilots—known as Red Eagles—against fighter pilots of the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Rob Zettel, a Red Eagles veteran, shares an insider’s view of the project.
Many of the most beautiful buildings of the last 600 years have been erected in Asia, which is also known for its boldly modern cities. Kathleen James-Chakraborty, a professor of art history and architectural historian at University College Dublin, looks across the continent from Iran to Japan at both historic and contemporary buildings. She also highlights the important contributions that women have made as patrons and designers of innovative architecture. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit)
