Humanities   

Two current iconoclasts claim that art and literature can be sources of emotional growth that “experts” undervalue. Alain de Botton (“Art as Therapy”) and Angus Fletcher (“Wonderworks”) show how artists and writers have dealt with psychological issues in ways that can still help us today. No outside reading expected, and you will learn whether you want to explore this topic further. We will use the word “therapeutic” only in a broad, general sense, not related to professional psychotherapy or the field of Art Education.

The rise of Hitler and the Nazis in Germany in the 1930s and their reign of terror across Europe in the 1940s were aided by some of the most prominent Americans and American corporations and institutions. Based on the scholarly work of Edwin Black and other historians, this course will explore the roles played by Ford, Rockefeller, Carnegie, General Motors, and IBM in establishing the Nazis and empowering them through war and genocide. The course will be comprised of lectures with abundant historical images and class discussion.
 *This class will be recorded.

American photography of the 1920s through 1940s was strongly influenced by women who experimented aesthetically with the camera. Photographers such as Imogen Cunningham, Laura Gilpin, Consuelo Kanaga, and Tina Modotti, among others, contributed to the social and political transformations of the era, helping to define the photographic medium as an art form. Documenting people, place, environment, and objects, each created a visual record of the visible and the marginalized human. These visual records today prevail as aesthetic standards of form and subject studied by historians, academics, and photographers, and revered by the public as exemplary fine art. This course studies how women photographers contributed to the development of modern documentation and art through their preferred artistic medium.

American photography of the 1920s through 1940s was strongly influenced by women who experimented aesthetically with the camera. Photographers such as Imogen Cunningham, Laura Gilpin, Consuelo Kanaga, and Tina Modotti, among others, contributed to the social and political transformations of the era, helping to define the photographic medium as an art form. Documenting people, place, environment, and objects, each created a visual record of the visible and the marginalized human. These visual records today prevail as aesthetic standards of form and subject studied by historians, academics, and photographers, and revered by the public as exemplary fine art. This course studies how women photographers contributed to the development of modern documentation and art through their preferred artistic medium.

According to Jewish legend, in 1700BC a man named Abraham put his faith in a god named YHVH, and in return was instructed to “look up now at the sky and count the stars if you can. So uncountable will your descendants be.” Those words, as it turns out, were prophetic. This course surveys the history, literature, beliefs and practices of the Abrahamic religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - religions which taken together comprise over half of the world’s population.

*You did not have to take Part 1 to register for Part 2. 

 *This class is being recorded. 

Samba is music. Samba is also political. This genre of music originated in Brazil during the late 1910s, recording the country's reactionary social history in the form of indigenous music accompanied by Portuguese language lyrics. In this course students will study the history of early samba, the evolution of the genre, musical instruments, the politicization of samba, and the cultural importance of music as a purveyor of post-colonial identity.

Samba is music. Samba is also political. This genre of music originated in Brazil during the late 1910s, recording the country's reactionary social history in the form of indigenous music accompanied by Portuguese language lyrics. In this course students will study the history of early samba, the evolution of the genre, musical instruments, the politicization of samba, and the cultural importance of music as a purveyor of post-colonial identity.

Beginning in 1879, African-Americans migrated from the southern and border states to the Plains. Community building and black self government were important tenets of the Exoduster Movement that established African-American communities, influenced political economy and the arts, and contributed to the foundation of the Civil Rights movement. The identity and contributions of Exodusters will be examined using historical documents and film.