September Mini Courses   

**This class will be taught In-Person (2 Classes in the classroom and one walking.)**

After the devastation of the 1906 earthquake and fires, San Francisco's business and political leaders quickly agreed that downtown should be quickly rebuilt. Fire and earthquake prevention was considered  as was rapid resumption of commerce. The result is a downtown of "commodity, firmness, and delight," the principles of good architecture as described by Roman architect, Vesuvius in his book "De  Architectura". Most of the business buildings, apartments, and hotels built between 1906 and 1930 are still standing. In this 3-week mini-course we will explore the steel framed buildings that replaced a brick Victorian downtown left in rubble. 

**This class will be taught on Zoom**

Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and George Gershwin are often considered some of the greatest songwriters in  American music history, yet each of them experienced a vastly different upbringing resulting in differing musical styles. Come join Dr. Thomas M. Cimarusti (Professor of Music History at Florida Gulf Coast  University) as we explore the life and music of these legendary songsters. Participants will be invited to address several questions including: what constitutes a "great song?" How did such composers write songs, and in the case of Berlin, without much formal music training? Select songs by each of the  composers will be discussed including Berlin's "Alexander's Ragtime Band” and "Cheek to Cheek"; Porter’s, "Anything Goes" and "Begin the Beguine"; and Gershwin's "Summertime" and "I've Got Rhythm." 

**This class will be taught on Zoom**

From 1892-1895 Antonin Dvorak was director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York City and  became acquainted with and enamored by an African American style of music that he described in this  way: "These beautiful and varied themes are the product of the soil. They are American." The course will explore the contribution and influence of African American musicians on genres of jazz and classical from 16th century America to present - highlighting performers and composers such as Scott Joplin, Florence Price, Marian Anderson, Jon Batiste and Carlos Simon.

**This class will be taught on Zoom**

In May 2016, SFMOMA reopened with a 10-story,  addition more than doubling its space. On view are more  than 200 core works from the Fisher collection by nearly  70 artists. The lineup includes works by Alexander  Calder, Gerhard Richter, Cy Twombly, Roy Lichtenstein,  Joan Mitchell, Agnes Martin and Ellsworth Kelly. While  the Fisher collection has star presence, the rest of the  galleries are showcasing about 1000 works from the  museum’s own collection. This course will include a brief  history of the Museum from its first 1935 permanent  home in the War Memorial Veterans Building, located in  the city’s Civic Center to its 1995 Mario Botta building,  and finally to its newly expanded 10-story, Snohetta designed addition (instantly making SFMOMA one of the  best collections of modern and contemporary art in the  country). Truly an exciting time for Modern Art in the Bay  Area. We’ll also explore three site specific works,  commissioned by SFMOMA, Kara Walker’s Garden of  automatons, Fortuna and the Immortality Garden,  (Machine), Julie Mehretu’s site-specific diptych, Howl,  and Barbara Stauffacher Solomon’s large-scale,  “supergraphics” commission for SFMOMA’s lobby, Strips  of Stripes.  

**This class will be taught In-Person**

This minicourse provides an informative and entertaining introduction to three colorful segments of California history. It will largely focus on the role of “The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus” (ECV), a fraternal organization that prospered during the California Gold Rush and was later revived in the 1930s. The histories will be presented from the perspective of ECV by instructors who are active and enthusiastic members of the organization and who will be presenting in the full regalia of the order.

**This class will be taught on Zoom**

Further investigating five decades of local Jazz and Popular music, highlighting the individuality, innovation and bawdy novelty of San Francisco entertainment. The Fillmore district was known as “Harlem of the West” and Jazz Casual television hosted the greatest names of jazz. Learn how Asian performers found new freedom of expression in local ethnic nightclubs like Forbidden City and you’ll hear unique rarities from lively Club Hangover radio broadcasts. Each class offers nearly 20 videoclips, many created expressly for the course, plus richly linked playlist and resources pdfs for further exploration.

**This class will be taught on Zoom**

We will look closely at the world’s most famous ceiling to discover its history and learn how Michelangelo’s passion (and  talent!) drove him to spend 4 years creating for the Church and the Pope. We will look at the ceiling’s iconography and the most recent restoration that returned it to the glorious original colors painted in the 16th Century.

**This class will be taught In-Person**

A visual look at more than 50 places and items that were once found in San Francisco but are completely gone now. Many residents remember the Embarcadero Freeway, two-toned fog horns, the “gas holders” that stood in several neighborhoods, and the Hamm’s Beer sign. Others have heard about cottages that covered Dolores Park in 1906, the Sweeny Observatory in Golden Gate Park, and Washerwoman’s Lagoon. Learn the stories about these and many other things that were once here but have “vanished” forever from the city.