Tuesday   

Discover how to use the natural world as both your canvas and co-creator during this in-person course. Perfect for beginners and nature lovers alike, this hands-on class teaches you alternative ways of observing and capturing local landscapes by tuning into natural patterns, colors, and textures. You will explore several art mediums (pencil, watercolor, sculpture) while creating unique physical projects, including temporary sculptures made from found items, intricate impressions, and painting. The course builds skills and works through sketching, drawing, and plein-air painting (watercolor) in the final sessions.

Qigong is a longevity practice dating back over 5,000 years that combines gentle movement, meditation and breathing. It has been practiced by emperors and peasants, yogis and gurus, and today can be found in longevity practices all over the world. This class is perfect for stress-reduction, improving balance, and connecting with the natural world and mature body. The class uses the YOQI method to introduce time-tested longevity practices.

This class is perfect for all levels and is designed to let you go at your own pace. We will explore the physical, mental and seasonal elements of aging and incorporate them into a weekly practice. This in-person movement class can be done standing, seated in a chair or on a cushion. Qigong is a gentle practice that requires no specialized training or equipment other than attuning to your own body and potential.

Required Form: All fitness/movement class students are required to complete the “Activity Release, Limitation of Liability and Assumption of Risk” form before participating the class. Please click Activity and Release, Limitation of Liability and Assumption of Risk to download the form and bring the completed form to the instructor on the first day of the class.

Step back into the remarkable Golden Age of Radio and discover how Big Band music and live variety shows helped shape American culture during the 1930s, 40s, and early 50s. This entertaining and informative lecture explores the rise of legendary orchestra leaders such as Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, and Duke Ellington, along with the unforgettable radio personalities, like Bing Crosby and Eddie Cantor who brought music, comedy, and drama into millions of homes each night. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how radio became America's first true mass entertainment medium, influencing popular music, humor, advertising, and family life. Through stories, rare audio clips, and historical insights, audiences will experience the excitement of live broadcasts, wartime programming, and the nationwide popularity of swing music. The lecture also examines how television and rock and roll eventually brought this extraordinary era to a close while leaving a lasting influence on entertainment today.

You already have everything you need. This course helps you find it, name it, and trust it. Through guided meditation, group conversation, and creative visualization exercises, you'll uncover the qualities that make you distinctly and irreplaceably you - not your career, not the rolls you've played, not what you've accomplished or own. The real stuff. The things people remember about you. The things that show up whether you're in a boardroom, a kitchen, or caring for your loved one. Each session builds on the last. You'll leave with a clearer sense of who you are at your best, a personal practice for returning to that place when life gets loud, and the understanding that no matter how much changes around you, you are never starting from scratch. Come ready to reflect, to engage, and to be a little surprised by yourself.

Qigong is an ancient practice, originating over 5,000 years ago that combines movement, meditation, and nature. It has been a source for modern Tai Chi and gave yoga many of its meditative practices. This is a class perfect for the beginner to the seasoned practitioner. We will align with the natural world and modern triggers, using the YOQI method to learn time-tested breathing techniques, flows, and moving meditation practices. We will explore how to keep regulated in a world of constant change and technology and incoporate them into a weekly practice. This in-person movement class can be done standing, seated in a chair or on a cushion. Qigong is a gentle practice that requires no specialized training or equipment other than attuning to your own body and potential.

Required Form: All fitness/movement class students are required to complete the “Activity Release, Limitation of Liability and Assumption of Risk” form before participating the class. Please click Activity and Release, Limitation of Liability and Assumption of Risk to download the form and bring the completed form to the instructor on the first day of the class.

Painting Seasonal Blooms is a watercolor painting course inspired by the favorite blooms of each season, offering a perfect way to appreciate the beauty of change and color in nature. With step-by-step instructions and lots of drawing exercises, you'll learn to draw and paint from your reference (image or a real flower). This course will also explore the basics of watercolor painting, starting with the types of materials and tools that you can use, and moving on to techniques in handling the medium. You'll learn about value, basic composition, color mixing, blending, and the mechanics of watercolor. Approaches such as wet-in-wet and working in layers will be introduced. With demonstrations and ongoing individual guidance, you'll develop your own artwork at your own pace. By the end of the course, you'll gain a solid foundation in watercolor and feel comfortable to pursue your passion for watercolor!

This two lecture series traces the evolution of the singer-songwriter tradition - from the early pioneers of personal songwriting to the extraordinary explosion of influential artists during the 1960s and 70s. Along the way, the series explores how deeply personal music transformed popular culture, changed the recording industry, and continues to shape contemporary music today. The lectures combine historical background, artist profiles, classic recordings, cultural commentary, and rare stories behind many of the era's most memorable songs.

Learn how to turn a sketchbook into a creative journal filled with drawings, observations, and personal stories. This class explores urban sketching, nature studies, travel memories, food illustration, visual notetaking, composition, and mixed-media techniques using ink, markers, and colored pencils. Through demonstrations, exercises, and guided projects, students will create expressive sketchbook pages that combine images and text. Suitable for beginners and experienced artists alike, this course encourages observation, creativity, and the joy of recording everyday experiences.

This lecture traces the rise of surf bands from the beaches of Southern California to the top of the national music charts, exploring the artists, songs, and youthful spirit that defined the era. Attendees will hear the stories behind legendary performers such as Dick Dale, The Beach Boys, and Jan and Dean while learning how surf music reflected America's fascination with cars, beaches, freedom, and the California lifestyle. Through classic recordings, vintage visuals, and behind-the-scenes insights, the lecture also examines how the Beatles and the changing social climate of the mid-1960s brought the surf music craze to a sudden end. This lecture offers a lively journey into one of the most colorful and enduring chapters in rock-and-roll history.

This single lecture explores the fascinating evolution of Top 40 radio - from its explosive rise in the 1950s through its dominance during the rock-and-roll era, to the technological and cultural changes that eventually led to its decline. Attendees will discover how innovative programmers, legendary DJs, and powerhouse stations helped shape American popular culture and influenced generations of music listeners.

The Evergreen State has experienced incredible geologic change since the breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia 750 million years ago. Dynamic Washington will lead you through the story of Washington's geologic evolution as the topography and landmass were changed by tectonic forces, volcanism, glaciers, earthquakes, and natural disasters.

We will learn how the timing and the sequence of geologic events led to the magnificent modern landscape of coastlines, mountains, and deserts we enjoy today. Join us this quarter as we embark on this fascinating geologic journey through time!