IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom, 2275 Platt Road
Leonardo da Vinci wasn’t just a painter from 500 years ago; he was a visionary whose ideas spanned aviation, engineering, art, anatomy, architecture, and design, and whose influence still surrounds us today. In this engaging presentation, we explore how Leonardo’s extraordinary powers of observation, captured in notebooks he wrote in reverse, revealed principles of flight centuries before they could be tested. But Leonardo’s genius extended far beyond flight. In art, he transformed how we see the world, perfecting perspective, pioneering the use of light and shadow (sfumato), and creating masterpieces like the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, where human emotion, natural landscapes, and scientific observation converge. Through powerful visuals and compelling comparisons, we connect Leonardo’s living legacy to the innovators who followed, and to the technologies we rely on today. Along the way, we uncover the remarkable journey of his notebooks: scattered, lost, rediscovered, and ultimately preserved as the codices that continue to inspire the modern world. Join us to discover how Leonardo isn’t just part of history – he is still shaping how we think, create, and soar. Once you see the world through his eyes, you may never look at everyday things the same way again. Wendy Zielen, originally from upstate New York, became a lifelong Michigander after meeting her husband at the University of Michigan. As Executive and Development Director of Bendix Academy, a nonprofit in Brighton, Michigan, she fosters mentorship through hands-on toolmanship education. Deeply committed to historical preservation and youth advocacy, Wendy draws inspiration from the “can-do” spirit of WWII. Her passion for history grew while retracing her Doughboy grandfather’s footsteps across France, and she continues to honor the legacy of America’s heroes by working to help empower future generations.
