Living a LearningLife

The University sees as its members not only the students who resort to the chief center, but the other thousands on farms, in factories, in offices, in shops, in schoolrooms, and in homes who look to it for guidance and encouragement. It is fascinating to picture the possibilities of this widening sphere as it makes its way into every corner of the state.
--Former University President George Vincent (1911-1916), who oversaw the establishment of the General Extension Division (now the College of Continuing Education) in 1913

From its very beginnings, the College of Continuing Education has been one of the standard bearers for the University's outreach mission--bringing lifelong opportunities to people not just on campus, but in the far corners of the state, the country, and even around the globe. For 100 years, the College has provided individuals with access to experts who helped them to challenge their perspectives, change their lives, or transform their communities.

To celebrate those 10 decades of innovation and education, LearningLife's summer programming will feature A Century of Ideas, a series of seminars examining the defining moments and movements that made our society what it is today. Each two-hour event will highlight an individual decade and feature University faculty and prominent Twin Cities' experts.

Art historian Allan Kohl to lead LearningLife short course on Islamic art

As both a visual media librarian and an art historian, Allan Kohl has devoted much of his career to the study of art and its cultural impact and ramifications. A popular instructor for LearningLife, he has led numerous courses at the U, including The Civil War in Art, Getting to Know the Art of the Middle Ages, Art History 101: From Caves to Cathedrals, and The Grand Tour Cities Series (Venice, Rome, Florence, London, Paris, Vienna, Athens, Istanbul).

This spring, he will be leading the three-session short course, Getting to Know Islamic Art (begins April 26). It is an offering he hopes will not only showcase many beautiful and intricate works of art, including ornamental calligraphy used in manuscripts and dazzling patterns based on mathematical formulas, but also help people better understand the culture behind the works.

April 12 marks the launch of MinnPost Asks Presented by LearningLife, a new current events discussion series produced by the College of Continuing Education in partnership with MinnPost.

The bi-monthly series will focus on hot-button issues, addressed by one or two newsmakers, a MinnPost journalist, and a U of M faculty expert. A moderated public Q&A will follow each panel's discussion.

Said Margy Ligon, director for the College's personal enrichment programs, "This format will allow people to hear about the issues from several angles. The newsmakers, obviously, and then the journalist and the faculty member who will be serving in the 'interviewer' roles. The reporter will typically tackle the issue from the 'right now' perspective--he or she will have the latest information and breaking news on the topic. The professor offers a historical perspective and brings the academic insight."

"The goal is to gather experts and newsmakers together for a real discussion, for a civil debate on the issues. We want to tackle those issues from a local level, and see how they are affecting our region and our lives."

"When I die," says Anatoly Liberman, "I would like to have a picture of a heifer inscribed upon my tombstone."

A somewhat peculiar utterance for anyone, but an even stranger one for someone who isn't a farmer, rancher, veterinarian, or in some other way associated with agrarian or bovine-related pursuits.

Liberman, who will be teaching the Saturday morning seminar The Future of English, is, in fact, a linguist. More specifically (and correctly), he is a philologist--one who studies language in written historical sources; a pursuit that combines literary studies, history, and linguistics. He is also a professor of German, Scandinavian, and Dutch at the University of Minnesota (where he has worked since he emigrated from his native Russia in 1975). And, one day, almost 25 years ago, because of a cow (albeit indirectly), he launched himself headfirst into the massive task of creating an etymological dictionary for the English language, and a bibliography to accompany it.

February may be the shortest month of the year...but it's certainly long on emotion. Embrace it, despair it; revel in it, curse at it... whatever your feelings on the holiday, Valentine's Day is almost here. This season, LearningLife offers Love 101 and The Fine Chocolate Renaissance--perfect for a double date, or for indulging in an evening or day to yourself. Plus, if you take both, you can receive a unique free gift! Read on for details, as well as some trivia treats about romance, candy, and the holiday we love to hate.

Although holiday music and seasonal displays seem to creep into public life earlier and earlier each year, there's no denying that the holiday season is truly here in full force. Everywhere we turn there seems to be shopping chaos, hyperactive advertising vying for our attention, and the lure of fun-filled adventures over the river and through the woods. But amidst all the activity, there is a quiet center of being thankful that never goes away, no matter how hectic our schedules seem to get.

That's why I wanted to take this opportunity to say "thank you!" to all of our LearningLife participants. I know there are a lot of choices out there when it comes to how you spend your precious time, and I'm grateful that you have chosen to make LearningLife a part of your busy schedule.

Based on your response to our fall programs, this is going to be a year for the record books. Just this fall alone, more than 2,000 of you have taken part in our unique learning experiences!

Design, Democracy, and Reform in the Arts and Crafts Movement

The period 1900-1930 was a time of sweeping change in the design and production of everyday objects and environments in America, encompassing everything from home architecture and décor to clothing styles.

A design movement cloaked in an aura of reform, the American Arts and Crafts era was characterized by advocacy of hand craftsmanship using simple forms, coupled with the objective of social reform. Says Kathleen Campbell, a grant writer at the U's Goldstein Museum of Design and a former curator there, "Arts and Crafts advocates such as Britons John Ruskin and William Morris and Gustav Stickley in America sought to improve the standard of design for useful objects and make them readily accessible to all. Reformers at heart, they believed that art and design could improve quality of life."

On November 9, the two-session short course Design, Democracy, and Reform: The American Arts and Crafts Movement will take participants on a tour of the era's design and social impact. Guided by Campbell and Goldstein curator Jean McElvain, participants will examine articles from the museum's collections (decorative objects, home textiles, and clothing) and photographs (architecture) that trace the flavor, themes, and design elements of the movement.

Exploring the American journey of Bob Dylan

Like a rolling stone, the man born Robert Allen Zimmerman bounced around Minnesota before going on to become one of the state's most famous sons.

Following his graduation from Hibbing High School in 1959, Zimmerman enrolled at the U of M, adopted a new moniker, became a staple on the Dinkytown folk music scene, dropped out of the U of M, and then headed for New York City in 1961.

Now age 70 and better known as Bob Dylan, the gravelly voiced singer/songwriter's works still bear the hallmarks of his "North Country" heritage.

"The North Country influences on Bob Dylan are evident in his work. There's an abiding respect for the working class, especially the mining folk, and you can hear it throughout his career," says Dylan historian and U of M music professor, Alex Lubet. Lubet, who will be teaching a fall short course on Bob Dylan, has been a fan--and later a scholar--of Bob Dylan ever since he first heard the artist's Freewheelin' in the 1960s.

It's not just kids who are returning to school come September; LearningLife is also headed back to the classroom with a full slate of fall programs.

The new season kicks off on September 20 with the annual LearningLife Sampler, a free event designed to give people a "taste" of what's to come in the following months. Held at the Continuing Education and Conference Center on the St. Paul campus, the Sampler features three "mini-courses," which will highlight several of the upcoming fall offerings.

Says Margy Ligon, the College of Continuing Education's director of personal enrichment programs, "the Sampler is a great way for people who are new to LearningLife to get a sense of the diversity and quality of our offerings, and to hear from some of our very accomplished instructors."

Curiosity Camp delves into the art and aesthetics of Japanese gardens

Dating back 1,500 years, the art of the Japanese garden continues to grow in popularity in the West. Today, there are hundreds of major public Japanese gardens in North America, and scores of smaller public gardens, along with many privately owned spaces, large and small.

This summer, Curiosity Camp participants will have the opportunity to learn more about the history and fundamental principles of this revered art form, as well as see how Japanese-style gardening is adaptable to many environments, including the Minnesota climate. Evoking Nature: The Aesthetics of Japanese-Style Gardens, takes place July 13.

Among the instructors for the camp is internationally celebrated landscape artist David Slawson. As Slawson explains, behind the timelessness of these "paintings with rocks, soil, plants, and water," and what attracts people to them "is the way they recreate the essence of the beauty found in nature. This beauty resonates across boundaries of time and culture because the Japanese sought to communicate what they felt in nature through art, and so developed design principles over centuries of trial and error that tuned into universals of human perception and the natural world."