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- Ancient Maya Civilization
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THIS CLASS IS FULL. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
Have you ever wondered about a profoundly different way of being in the world? This course leads us into the extraordinary realm of the ancient Maya of Mexico and Central America. Through PowerPoint lectures and hands-on activities, we'll learn and think about Maya culture, religion, art, calendrics, government, and warfare, using knowledge and perspectives from archaeology, anthropology, and hieroglyphic decipherment. Our optional parallel read is House of the Waterlily, A Novel of the Ancient Maya World written by the instructor.
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- Art Collectors and Their Museums (Part 2)
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THIS CLASS IS FULL. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
This class focuses on American art collectors of past eras and the museums which now house their collections. These include Peggy and Solomon Guggenheim, Alice Walton (of Walmart fame), the Cone Sisters of Baltimore, Henry Huntington, and others. We will explore how the plans evolved for these collections to be housed in museums open to the public. But most importantly, we will concentrate on the art itself.
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- Classics of French Cinema (Hybrid)
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THIS CLASS IS FULL. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
France launched one of the world’s first theatrical film industries—and it has been shaping cinema ever since. In this course, we’ll screen ten essential classics, from a silent-era masterpiece through defining movements such as poetic realism, the tradition of quality, the French New Wave, and later landmarks. We’ll encounter films by major directors including Renoir, Carné, Godard, Varda, and Tati. You’ll find everything from tragedy to comedy across the lineup. Our discussions will explore technique and style, historical and cultural context, and each film’s lasting influence. No film-study background is needed—just curiosity about filmmaking and film history. (Note: all films are in French with English subtitles.)
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- Classics of French Cinema (Hybrid) Zoom Only
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Fee: $30.00
Dates: 9/18/2026 - 12/4/2026
Times: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Days: F
Sessions: 11
Building: ZOOM
Room: Online Only
Instructor: Ed Reeves
Maximum Enrollment: 25
France launched one of the world’s first theatrical film industries—and it has been shaping cinema ever since. In this course, we’ll screen ten essential classics, from a silent-era masterpiece through defining movements such as poetic realism, the tradition of quality, the French New Wave, and later landmarks. We’ll encounter films by major directors including Renoir, Carné, Godard, Varda, and Tati. You’ll find everything from tragedy to comedy across the lineup. Our discussions will explore technique and style, historical and cultural context, and each film’s lasting influence. No film-study background is needed—just curiosity about filmmaking and film history. (Note: all films are in French with English subtitles.)
No Class Nov. 27
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- Fashions of the Past, Part 2: The Modern Way In Person
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Maximum Enrollment: 28
Where are we going and what are we wearing? The last few generations in the Western world saw a blinding rate of change, and in the scramble to keep pace, fashion changed us all. From the world wars to mass entertainment and international marketing, the forces of modern life have shaped the costumes we wear before the world. It's time to take a new look at the designers and innovations we've seen, and celebrate the best.
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- From Doo-Wop to Woodstock: The Music of the 60's
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THIS CLASS IS FULL. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
In this class we will dive into the music of the '60s and examine its impact on a generation. There will be a lot of listening as we explore the wide variety of the decade's music. We will discuss how the music helped shape the culture, including a focus on changes taking place in Lexington. The course will encompass many facets of the music industry - the artists, the songwriters, recording studios, music surveys, radio stations, and so much more. We anticipate lively interaction - and a lot of fun - as we relive the music of this exceptional decade.
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- Lifelong Philosophy SIG (Zoom) Zoom Only
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Fee: $0.00
Dates: 9/4/2026 - 12/11/2026
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Days: F
Sessions: 14
Building: ZOOM
Room: Online Only
Instructor: Maryann Wellman
Maximum Enrollment: 25
The Lifelong Philosophy SIG is a discussion group addressing contemporary issues which incorporate historical philosophical concepts. Members meet weekly and dialog informally about a social, ethical or humanist topic selected by the group within certain broad categories such as art, science, medical advances, technology, etc. Additionally, members periodically share their experiences with books, films and other media that convey a particular philosophical theme and/or stimulate deeper thinking. SIG members who so choose gather socially from time to time to strengthen the bonds of friendship among members and share ideas in a relaxed setting.
No Class Nov. 27
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- Music from the Soul Kitchen Los Angeles 1968 In Person
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Maximum Enrollment: 20
Students will learn the personnel, characters, lyrics and musical accomplishments of many Los Angeles bands. The selections will include both hits and obscure, less familiar songs. Stories about some controversial performers will clear up myths and legends that may (or may not) be true.
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- Parables of Jesus: In Middle-Eastern Eyes (Zoom)
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Fee: $30.00
Item Number: 2026 FCOR151301
Dates: 10/5/2026 - 11/2/2026
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Days: M
Sessions: 5
Building: ZOOM
Room: Online Only
Instructor: George Martin
THIS CLASS IS FULL. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
Professor Kenneth Bailey (1930-2016) lived and taught the New Testament in Egypt, Lebanon and Jerusalem. You will be amazed with his insights into the parables of Jesus. From ancient times these parables still retain their power to shock and dismay us, as we also consider just how radical is God’s mercy. Change comes slowly in the Middle East. These are parables from an ancient world of peasants. These weren’t stories of the famous or most powerful, but simple human beings in everyday life. The Rev. Dr. George Martin (retired Episcopal priest and a Lutheran Pastor) knew Dr. Bailey. The key book by Bailey is "Poet and Peasant". It is not required reading, but all who attend will be amazed at what these parables reveal.
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- Practical Knots: for Boot, Boat, Bundle
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THIS CLASS IS FULL. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
We will focus on the structure of the knots: non-crossing loop, crossing loop, and full turn (line goes all the way round), for practical knots, e.g. to moor and tow a boat, to tie a hiking boot, to secure an irregular bundle. We practice til we can tie the knot eyes closed, maybe even one-handed. We will include stopper knots, the half-hitch, various knots for stowing a line, variations on the sheepshank and other hanks held by turns and half hitch; the whole overhand knot series; the sheet-bend/bowline for towing and for rescue, and a special double bow knot for a boot which unties with a single pull, and various fixed loops and their use as a pulley to cinch a bundle. Practice line and fixtures provided.
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- The Americans
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THIS CLASS IS FULL. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
In the late 19th-early 20th century many artists portrayed scenes of daily life in New York, often in the city's poorer neighborhoods. They included Robert Henri, John Sloan, George Bellows and Everett Shinn. Art historians would later dub this movement “the Ashcan School.” Beginning in the second decade of the 20th century, the photographer Alfred Stieglitz operated a gallery in New York that promoted several American artists, including Georgia O’Keeffe, John Marin, Marsden Hartley, Arthur Dove and Charles Demuth. This Course will focus on these artists and others, from 1900-1935, as art in New York begins to evolve toward abstraction.
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- The Art Museum Guide: How to Get the Most Out of a Visit to Many of the "Big" Art Museums in Europe In Person
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Maximum Enrollment: 40
Visiting an art museum is a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in a world of beautiful and fascinating visual arts. However, it can also be an unsettling prospect for inexperienced visitors, who may worry about feeling overwhelmed, intimidated, or even out-of-place. This class is designed for those interested in visiting art museums and who want to make the most of their time there. The "big" art museums contain so many works of art it is impossible to see it all. This class will help you create a list of key works to see at each museum, so you can make the most of your time there. We will create a viewing plan for the following museums: The Louvre in Paris, France; Picasso Museum in Paris, France; Musee d'Orsay in Paris, France; The Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain; Reina Sofia Art Museum in Madrid, Spain; Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid, Spain; Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain; The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy; Galleria Borghese in Rome, Italy; The National Gallery in London, England; Tate Modern in London, England.
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- What Would Aristotle Say? A Selective Reading of Aristotle's NICOMACHEAN ETHICS In Person
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Maximum Enrollment: 16
Over the course of five (5) session we will read and discuss various chapters ("Books") of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics -- one of the "Great Books" in our cultural heritage. Each session will focus on one or two chapters with a specific purpose in mind and a specific question to be addressed. For example, "Being human...what could that mean?"; "Being virtuous...Could AI spot a virtuous action?"; and "Saints and Beasts and everyone in between...what kind of (moral) person are you?" In the course of these discussions, we will encounter an ancient perspective of the "good life" that is beginning again to emerge in recent discussions ranging from how we educate our children to how we should conduct our social lives. These discussions will have succeeded if students are left with lots to think about!
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