Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Ringling College announces summer semester programs
Registration is open for the 2024 summer semester at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Ringling College that offers noncredit educational opportunities for adults to pursue new interests, expand intellectual horizons, and enrich their lives.
The semester, which runs May 13-July 2, features more than 40 single-session courses, tours, presentations, movies, and hands-on programs covering a variety of topics, including arts and entertainment, history, music appreciation, health, literature, philosophy, religion, and science.
Semester highlights include Opera Houses: Musical Landscapes of Power; What Wall Street Doesn’t Want You to Know; Why Are You Left-Handed or Right-Handed?; Creating the Florida Landscape You Love; The Early Days of Comic Books (1939-1948); and a tour of St. Petersburg’s Imagine Museum and Duncan McClellan Gallery.
Classes are offered at the Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.
Highlights of the summer semester include:
Marietta Museum of Art & Whimsy: During this guided tour with founder Marietta Lee, hear firsthand why she created a museum dedicated to the creative human spirit that raises the importance of whimsical art. This unique museum showcases a collection of light-hearted paintings, sculptures, stained glass, and artworks in a range of mediums.
Highwaymen at City Hall: Collector Roger Lightle leads a guided tour of the Florida Highwaymen exhibition at Sarasota City Hall. The Florida Highwaymen emerged in the 1950s in the agricultural communities of Fort Pierce and Gifford. They were prolific painters who sold their artwork from the trunks of their cars during the post-World War II boom because they were unable to exhibit through traditional means due to racial barriers.
Opera Houses: Musical Landscapes of Power: Explore the designs of opera houses throughout the world. Milan’s Teatro alla Scala is perhaps the most famous opera house in the world, the Sydney Opera is one of the most distinctive and unique buildings considered a masterpiece of 20th-century architecture, and the Metropolitan is the largest house with a 38,000-seat capacity. The evolution of architectural styles from Beaux Arts to more recent innovative styles will be presented including locations in China, Dubai, and Azerbaijan.
What’s it Worth? Bring one item that you have been curious about and Andrew Ford, a seasoned antique and fine art acquisitions expert, will assess its worth. With decades of knowledge and experience, Ford can accurately evaluate the value of your treasure, whether it’s a sterling silver necklace from your great aunt, or a glass sculpture.
What Wall Street Doesn’t Want You to Know: Find out why “Black Swans” and “Gray Rhinos” happen, how retail investors are the last to know, and how Wall Street preys on the two primary investing emotions: fear and greed. The Day Hagan team will provide practical tips and best practices for selecting investments, constructing portfolios, and managing risk.
Why Are You Left-Handed or Right-Handed? Most people (85% to 90%) are right-handed and have been since the Stone Age. This session will focus on the genetic, neurological, and cultural factors that influence our preference for using one hand over the other, and what can be inferred. Also, an examination of when handedness emerges in children and age-related changes in hand dominance.
To register or for more information, visit OLLIatRinglingCollege.org or call 941-309-5111.
Submitted by Kelly Fores