JUNE 2021 CLASSES
Find a description of each class below!
Week of May 31
Monday May 31 MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY
Tuesday Jun. 1 1-3 pm
Title: Artistic Exchange Between China and Europe in the 17th and 18th Centuries
Presenter: Dawn Odell, PhD
Description:
In this presentation, Professor Dawn Odell discusses the circulation of art works between China and Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. In a period in which merchants and missionaries frequently travelled the world, so to did porcelain, printed books, maps, paintings, clocks and other mechanical devices, tapestries, and furniture. Professor Odell highlights the Dutch role in the trade with Asia, and specifically the Dutch response to Chinese art. For the many Netherland citizens who would never travel beyond the walls of their small towns, what did art tell them about another region of the world?
Wednesday Jun. 2 10am-Noon
Title: Supreme Court Cases That Have Shaped Our World—Part 1
Presenter: Barry Bennett, JD, SSI member
Description:
Many of our most contentious political and social issues end up before the United States Supreme Court, which has final authority to decide all constitutional questions. Thus, the Court has defined the limits of free speech and legitimate protest; voting rights; the allowable reach of campaign finance reform; protections against racial discrimination; privacy rights, including the right to abortion and same-sex marriage; and many more. We will explore the major Supreme Court cases in these areas, and along the way highlight the three most infamous decisions in Supreme Court history.
Thursday Jun. 3 10am-Noon
Title: What Do Numbers Do in Their Spare Time?
Presenter: John Schilke, SSI member
Description:
We all use numbers every day. Have you ever stopped to think about how these characters get on in their own world? They associate, form series and groups, and do very well. We'll explore their antics and their games.
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Week of June 7
Monday Jun. 7 10am-Noon
Title: Poetry Reading Fun
Presenter: Trina Gaynon, SSI member
Description:
Know a lot about poetry? Know nothing about poetry? Somewhere in-between? There’s a place for you in this very popular class led by Trina Gaynon. We read from a variety of published works. Really FUN!
Tuesday Jun. 8 1-3 pm
Title: Abstract Art
Presenter: Susan Schenk, SSI member
Description:
Have you ever looked at abstract art and said, “My grandchild could do that!” Do you find yourself emotionally pulled into abstract art or scratching your head trying to figure it out? Can you appreciate it without “getting” it?
We will explore the history of abstract art and learn to find a way into art that doesn’t have an obvious entry point. We will compare traditional classic art with abstract art and other non-representational art. You may find that your next museum visit takes you to the contemporary wings instead of the staid and predictable classics. "Tolerance of ambiguity" is the mantra of docents who lead tours of modern art at the Portland Art Museum. Come and see if widening your tolerance for ambiguity also widens your world.
Wednesday Jun. 9 10am-Noon
Title: From Marching Bands to Big Bands: The Story of Early Jazz
Presenter: Gordon Neal Herman
Description:
This presentation traces how the combining of marching bands and ragtime gave rise to Dixieland jazz and how the big bands grew out of the dance band movement discovering jazz.
Thursday Jun. 10 10am-Noon
Title: Theravada Buddhism
Presenter: Margaret Darby, SSI member
Description:
Of the many traditions of Buddhism introduced to Western cultures, Theravada Buddhism seems to have been the most widely received. Theravada translates as “The Teachings of the Elders,” an oral tradition passed down by the Buddha as expressed in the Pali Canon.
I’ll share some of the history of the practice and how monastics have kept the teachings alive. I also hope to impart how daily practice of this tradition can enhance ones life in ways never expected.
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