Living a LearningLife

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."