Tuesday   

COURSE MEETS IN PERSON AT THE CONCORD CENTER

This course presents an extended analogy between the human immune system's role in protecting a person's health and the fole of civic culture in protecting the health of America's democracy.  Viruses exist even in healthy bodies, but a healthy immune system system keeps them in check.  Democracies work in much the same way.  A healthy civic culture--marked by tolerance of opposing viewpoints, trust among citizens, and the respect for the rule of law--suppresses dangerous impulses before they damage the democratic process.  But when a democracy's immune systems weakens, extremism and lawlessness can spread like a virus.  Sadly, America's immune system has been compromised, and the public square is now infected by a strain of authoritarian populism.

ZOOM COURSE

"No white man sings like Van Morrison," claims music critic Greil Marcus.  Morrison, Belfast-born and two-time Grammy winner, has livedhis blend of spiritual, bluesy, and rock music through 60 albums, 80 singles, and thousands of live performances.  We'll study his influences, listen to songs, and decipher some of his wonderfully strange and emotionally evocative lyrics.  No class on Tuesday, June 30.

ZOOM COURSE

From ancient times to the Ottoman Empire, and from the Victorian Era to the present, flowers have been used as a communication code or conversation when words were not possible or sufficient.  We'll explore the use of flowers as a source of information through the type of flower and/or its color, and how those earlier practices still influence our usages.

ZOOM COURSE

Explore the revolutionary career of Miles Davis, from his early bebop sideman days to the groundbreaking Birth of the Cool and Kind of Blue recordings. This course dives into his formative influences, signature sound, and the cool/modal innovations that reshaped jazz forever. Listen, learn, and experience the evolution of one of music’s most iconic and influential artists. 

In this course, we will trace the evolution of literature specifically written for children - from its earliest forms to the modern era. We will begin with the oral traditions that underpin all storytelling, then follow the shift toward published works created specifically with young readers in mind. We will survey key moments and turning points that shaped the growth of children’s literature as a distinct field. We will conclude by analyzing how a well-known children’s literature has evolved over time.

Instructor: Blake Regnier

Blake Regnier is a former middle school reading interventionist and current English instructor for Worthington Learning Center. Regnier is also an adjunct instructor of English for Minnesota West Community and Technical College. With a diverse background in literary traditions spanning classical works through the modern era, his primary research interest has been in Victorian era monsters and other assorted "things that go bump in the night."

Osher Online classes take place via Zoom and are not recorded.

In this course, we will explore a wide range of horticultural practices with something to offer no matter our experience level or where we live. We will cover container gardening, aquatic gardens, ornamental and fruiting plants, bonsai, landscape design, and pest management. Each week, we will focus on a theme and examine design ideas, plant choices, and long-term care practices for success. Whether we garden on 10 acres or in an apartment, we will find plenty to learn and enjoy in horticulture.

Instructor: Chris Baker

Chris Baker has worked in horticulture for 15 years, including as a horticulturist at the National Aquarium in Baltimore and as Curator of Bonsai at the Chicago Botanic Garden. He focuses on the use and benefits of native plant species and sound, eco-friendly horticultural practices. Baker studied with bonsai master Torho Suzuki at the Daiju-en Nursery in Japan. He is President of the North American Bonsai Federation and a board member of the World Bonsai Friendship Federation.

Osher Online courses take place via Zoom and are not recorded.

MEETS IN PERSON AT THE CONCORD CENTER

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel combined angelic harmonies and timeless melodies with poetic, socially conscious lyrics to craft some of the biggest folk-rock hits. Combining rare video and sound clips with expert commentary, this course will also feature screening and discussion of the classic film they soundtracked, "The Graduate." 

ZOOM COURSE

In his short career of 10 years,Vincent van Gogh created hundreds of works of art.Through correspondence with his younger brother,art dealer Theo van Gogh,most of what is known of Vincent's thoughts,hopes,struggles and flashes of inspiration are recorded in the hundreds of letters they exchanged. This course will cover his work through the lens of his relationship with Theo.