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Course Catalog > Courses and Lectures > Arts, Music & Literature

Arts, Music & Literature   

Course and Lecture Request Process: August 4 - 15, 2025

Architectures of New Orleans: Two Virtual Guided Tours

Take a "walk" through two nostalgic neighborhoods, the French Quarter and the Garden District, and learn more about the multi-cultural architectural styles that make every neighborhood in New Orleans a living museum. 

On Campus Session

  • Section Code: F25FSFACT095A
  • Instructor: Ken Seeling

  • Dates: 11/13/2025 - 11/20/2025

  • Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

  • Sessions: 2

    Days: Th

  • Building: Secrest Wible

    Room: 119

 

Art in the Mary Couts Burnett Library

Come join us for a walking tour of the Mary Couts Burnett Library and learn about the library's art collection. You'll see a wide array of art from original Rembrandt Etchings to Andy Warhol Screen prints (and everything in between). We'll take a look at the artworks themselves and discuss how the university acquired them. Participants will also learn about the library's efforts toward conservation and academic research.

On Campus Session

  • Section Code: F25FSFACT044B
  • Instructor: Kerri Menchaca

  • Dates: 10/22/2025 - 10/22/2025

  • Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

  • Sessions: 1

    Days: W

  • Building: Mary Couts Burnett Library

    Room: Lobby

 

Art in the Mary Couts Burnett Library

Come join us for a walking tour of the Mary Couts Burnett Library and learn about the library's art collection. You'll see a wide array of art from original Rembrandt Etchings to Andy Warhol Screen prints (and everything in between). We'll take a look at the artworks themselves and discuss how the university acquired them. Participants will also learn about the library's efforts toward conservation and academic research.

On Campus Session

  • Section Code: F25FSFACT044C
  • Instructor: Kerri Menchaca

  • Dates: 12/2/2025 - 12/2/2025

  • Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

  • Sessions: 1

    Days: Tu

  • Building: Mary Couts Burnett Library

    Room: Lobby

 

Bucket List Books

In our first session, we discuss John Grisham's THE RECKONING.  Former prisoner of war gets up one morning, goes into town, and shoots the pastor of the Methodist church.  He will not participate in his own defense.  In our second session, we discuss THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE, the favorite in the Nancy Drew series.  A friend wants Nancy to help her solve the case of her grandmother's haunted house. In our third session, we discuss OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO, a popular Dr. Seuss book that involves a boy who decides to start a journey and has a sudden defeat.  In our last session, we discuss Marta Molnar's THE SECRET LIFE OF FLOWERS, a fictional story about the sister-in-law of Vincent Van Gogh.

On Campus Session

  • Section Code: F25FSFLW002A
  • Instructor: Shari Barnes

  • Dates: 11/14/2025 - 12/12/2025

  • Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

  • Sessions: 4

    Days: F

  • Building: Secrest Wible

    Room: 119

 

Christian Symbolism in Renaissance Art

Renaissance artists were heavily influenced by Christianity due to the Catholic Church being the main patron at the time. Paintings and altarpieces were produced for churches large and small as well as private chapels. Employing symbolism was an effective way to impart to the faithful religious stories, teach theological concepts and church doctrine. Since many of the members of the church, outside of the clergy and the nobility, were illiterate. Some symbols are familiar to us today, the Lamb, representing Christ, and the Dove, representing the Holy Spirit. But what do other symbols represent? A scorpion? A dandelion? Even a rock has a specific meaning. Animals, plants, flowers and insects all mean something in Renaissance paintings. Discover more about this fascinating subject from Debra Million, docent at The Kimbell Art Museum.

On Campus Session

  • Section Code: F25FSFREL069A
  • Instructor: Debra Million

  • Dates: 9/10/2025 - 9/17/2025

  • Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

  • Sessions: 2

    Days: W

  • Building: Secrest Wible

    Room: 119

 

Curtain Call

A panel of representatives from three theatres will introduce Silver Frogs to the excitement of the lively local live theatre scene. MORE COMING

Trinity Terrace

  • Section Code: F25FSFAML008A
  • Instructor: Patsy Cipolla

  • Dates: 10/22/2025 - 10/22/2025

  • Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

  • Sessions: 1

    Days: W

  • Building: Trinity Terrace

    Room: Longhorn Room

 

Discovering Art in the Fort Worth Botanic Garden

The beautiful Fort Worth Botanic Garden is home to a marvelous collection of sculpture and paintings. Art in the Garden classes will explore the outdoor sculpture collection including works by Fort Worth Circle artists Charles Truett Williams, Gene Owens, and Evaline Sellors; nationally recognized artists such as Patrick Dougherty and Glenna Goodacre; and TCU professors Cameron Schoepp and Chris Miller. Explore how the works complement plantings in the Garden and the history of their acquisition and their artists. All this and flowers, too! You will need to pay for admission at the Botanic Garden if you are not a member of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. Fee is $10/day or $20 total for the program. 

Off-Campus

 

Discovering Art in the Fort Worth Botanic Garden: Part 2

This class is a follow-up to "Discovering Art in the Botanic Garden - Part 1." Participants will discover additional sculptures in the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, the artists, and settings. Walking over uneven surfaces is required so being able to walk without assistance is necessary. You will need to pay for admission at the Botanic Garden if you are not a member of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. Fee is $10/day.

Off-Campus

  • Section Code: F25FSFACM011A
  • Instructor: Subie Green

  • Dates: 10/29/2025 - 10/29/2025

  • Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

  • Sessions: 1

    Days: W

  • Building: Fort Worth Botanic Garden

    Room: Deborah B. Moncrief Garden Center

 

Exploring Global Art Works at the Bowie House Gallery

Exploring Global Art Works at the Bowie House Gallery. This program will be held on the TCU campus.

On Campus Session

  • Section Code: F25FSFACT124A
  • Instructor: Emily Brzyski

  • Dates: 10/1/2025 - 10/1/2025

  • Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

  • Sessions: 1

    Days: W

  • Building: Secrest Wible

    Room: 119

 

Greek and Roman Mythology in the Visual Arts

This course will explore Greek and Roman Mythology and how, through the centuries, it has helped artists to communicate love, anger, loyalty, danger, justice and injustice. The Greeks did not worship ugly idols but created instead a constellation of beautiful radiant gods. We will discuss the most salient myths and legends of the Greek lore.

ON CAMPUS SESSION

  • Section Code: F25FSFACT026A
  • Instructor: Joseph Cecere

  • Dates: 11/10/2025 - 12/8/2025

  • Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

  • Sessions: 4

    Days: M

  • Building: Secrest Wible

    Room: 119

 

How To Read Great Literature: The Life of the Buddha

The Life of the Buddha (Buddhacarita) tells the story of one of the most famous and illustrious quests in world religions, the quest of the Buddha to achieve enlightenment. It was composed by Ashvagosha a Brahmin living in the first Century CE in India who converted to Buddhism and became a Buddhist monk. Throughout his work, Ashvagosha makes constant references to the characters in the Sanskrit epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, in order to demonstrate how their achievements pale in comparison to those of the Buddha. Additionally, The Life of the Buddha is centrally concerned with dharma, or religious virtue, which Ashvagosha explores from both the Buddhist and Hindu perspectives. It is not just a story about the life of the Buddha but a treatise on the Buddhist path that shows the way to a profound religious truth. Emphasis in class will be placed on close reading and the pleasures of grappling with a great book.

On Campus Session

  • Section Code: F25FSFAML001A
  • Instructor: Emily Hudson

  • Dates: 11/12/2025 - 12/10/2025

  • Times: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM

  • Sessions: 4

    Days: W

  • Building: Secrest Wible

    Room: 119

 

Images of Christian Art and Architecture from 300AD thru the Renaissance

Viewing Mosaics in Byzantine Churches, stained class windows in Gothic Cathedrals and paintings and sculpture through time we will discover and interpret Christian Art and Iconography.

On Campus Session

  • Section Code: F25FSFACT121A
  • Instructor: Graham Rutherford

  • Dates: 9/8/2025 - 9/29/2025

  • Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

  • Sessions: 4

    Days: M

  • Building: Secrest Wible

    Room: 119

 

Irving Berlin's White Christmas

Are you one of those people who feels like it's not Christmas unless you watch the 1954 film classic White Christmas? Do you get ridiculously excited when the movie plays nearby on the big screen? Can you perform the (sometimes corny, sometimes repetitive) dialogue along with the actors? Have you ever made a ski slope with a white napkin and stems of rosemary? Well--if you answered yes to any--or all--of these questions, you're not weird and you're not alone! Join me to learn more about the movie, the people who made it, and maybe even a little about liverwurst and buttermilk.

Stevenson Oaks

  • Section Code: F25FSFAML002A
  • Instructor: Sharon Harrelson

  • Dates: 12/4/2025 - 12/11/2025

  • Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

  • Sessions: 2

    Days: Th

  • Building: Stevenson Oaks

    Room: Fort Worth

 

Jack, His Beanstalk and King Arthur: All Related

We will explore King Arthur, Jack, his beanstalk, their kinship, and how understanding who they are will shake up our perception of who we are and our history. When and how did these accounts, legends and stories develop over hundreds of years from different places on our planet, yet they are all related, fit together and very precisely tell an amazing story?

On Campus Session

  • Section Code: F25FSFAML004A
  • Instructor: Roger Norman

  • Dates: 11/7/2025 - 11/7/2025

  • Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

  • Sessions: 1

    Days: F

  • Building: Secrest Wible

    Room: 119

 

Modern Poets and the Struggle for Faith

Art yearns for the divine. God is the poet of creation. And felicitous verse often appears to lift off the page in search of the sacred. This lecture will assess as well as probe how four modern poets -- Carl Dennis, Anya Krugovoy Silver, Luci Tapahonso, and Charles Wright -- struggle for faith in our seemingly disenchanted world.

On Campus Session

 

Rock & Roll with a Social Conscience

There was a time when Rock & Roll tugged at our conscience, not just our heart. Remember Vietnam War protest songs? Songs about ecology and Civil Rights? If you still have a little hippie liberal in you, come join the 3 Amigos for a stroll through the '60s and '70s, back when we thought we could change the world.

On Campus Session

 

Second Battle of the Bands

The Battle of the Bands last fall was such a hit, the 3 Amigos are back with the Second Battle of the Bands. We will match two '60s or '70s groups against each other with a selection of songs -- and let the class vote on which they like best. Democracy rules! Teaser: How about Tommy James & the Shondels vs. Credence Clearwater Revival? Or the Turtles vs. the Lovin' Spoonful? Lots of great music AND good fellowship with other Silver Frogs music lovers.

On Campus Session

 

Silent Pictures to Talkies: How the Synchronized Soundtrack Changed the Movies

In this two-part mini-course, we’ll explore the transition from silent films to "talkies" by examining the development of the synchronized soundtrack. Film music played a key role in silent film presentation and advancing early sound technologies. Featured films will include The Birth of a Nation, The Jazz Singer, and Sunrise.

On Campus Session

  • Section Code: F25FSFACT112A
  • Instructor: Paul Cortese

  • Dates: 9/9/2025 - 9/16/2025

  • Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

  • Sessions: 2

    Days: Tu

  • Building: Secrest Wible

    Room: 119

 

The 1960's Folk Music Revival in Four Acts

The history of this revival is illustrated by using four musical acts (approximately) to explain aspects of what Dave Van Ronk called "The Great Folk Scare": The Kingston Trio (and others): making folk music safe; Dave Van Ronk (and Joan Baez): the revenge of the "pure" folksingers; Bob Dylan: the rise of the singer/songwriters and additional artist(s) to be named later: the folk revival evolves.

On Campus Session

  • Section Code: F25FSFACT004A
  • Instructor: Michael Erwine

  • Dates: 11/13/2025 - 12/11/2025

  • Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

  • Sessions: 4

    Days: Th

  • Building: Secrest Wible

    Room: 119

 

The Beatles and Rubber Soul 60 Years Later

In early 1965, the mighty engine of Beatlemania was sputtering a bit. But all that would change with the December release of Rubber Soul. That folk-rock driven album is now regarded as a true turning point that opened the door for the more groundbreaking and critically acclaimed LPs that would follow. Join us as we continue to look at the Beatles at 60 by examining this remarkable album (that gave us such hits as Drive My Car and Michelle, and In My Life) in order to better understand and enjoy its incredible significance.

On Campus Session

  • Section Code: F25FSFAML007A
  • Instructor: Punch Shaw

  • Dates: 11/14/2025 - 11/14/2025

  • Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

  • Sessions: 1

    Days: F

  • Building: Secrest Wible

    Room: 119

 

The King of Instruments: The Rildia Bee O'Bryan Cliburn Organ - Tour & Demo

The pipe organ was proclaimed the King of Instruments for its vast array of sound and flexibility. Broadway Baptist Church boasts the 12th largest pipe organ in the world. Hear the history, engineering, and evolution of the organ. Learn about the building and design of this one, and explore the sounds of this monumental organ through a variety of pieces as demonstrated by the church’s Organist. This lecture will take place at Broadway Baptist Church.

Off Campus

  • Section Code: F25FSFACT075A
  • Instructor: Bradley Reznicek

  • Dates: 9/11/2025 - 9/11/2025

  • Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

  • Sessions: 1

    Days: Th

  • Building: Broadway Baptist Church

    Room: Pipe Organ

 

Up Close and Personal: American Art at the Carter Museum (2 Sessions)

The Amon Carter Museum of American Art is a trove of paintings, sculptures, and other works from the 18th C. to the present day. Every work has a story. See the works and learn their stories with docent-guides from the Carter. **This is a two-session course**

Off-Campus

  • Section Code: F25FSFACT126A
  • Instructor: James Burt

  • Dates: 9/9/2025 - 9/16/2025

  • Times: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM

  • Sessions: 2

    Days: Tu

  • Building: Amon Carter Museum

    Room: Lobby

 

Up Close and Personal: American Art at the Carter Museum (2 Sessions)

The Amon Carter Museum of American Art is a trove of paintings, sculptures, and other works from the 18th C. to the present day. Every work has a story. See the works and learn their stories with docent-guides from the Carter. **This is a two-session course**

Off-Campus

  • Section Code: F25FSFACT126B
  • Instructor: James Burt

  • Dates: 11/11/2025 - 11/18/2025

  • Times: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM

  • Sessions: 2

    Days: Tu

  • Building: Amon Carter Museum

    Room: Lobby

 

Up Close and Personal: American Art at the Carter Museum (4 Sessions)

The Amon Carter Museum of American Art is a trove of paintings, sculptures, and other works from the 18th Century to the present day. Every work has a story. See the works and learn their stories with docent-guides from the Carter. **This is a four-session course**

Off-Campus

  • Section Code: F25FSFACT082A
  • Instructor: James Burt

  • Dates: 10/14/2025 - 11/4/2025

  • Times: 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM

  • Sessions: 4

    Days: Tu

  • Building: Amon Carter Museum

    Room: Lobby

 

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