Search results for

As America transformed from its colonial period to a fully-fledged nation, the paintings of the Hudson River School of artists in the 19th century depicted the Hudson River Valley and the surrounding area, including the Catskill, Adirondack, and White Mountains. A common theme was the belief that nature in the form of the American landscape was a reflection of God, and the artists' work reflected the themes of a 19th-century American interest in discovery and exploration as the country expanded westward. The Hudson River School artists also influenced other artists to explore the American wilderness and paint the luminous skies of the Eastern Seaboard to the coppery colors of the Southwest.

Eleanor Schrader is an award-winning educator, lecturer, and author. She lectures worldwide on art and architectural history, and leads art and architecture tours throughout the world. She has been named a Distinguished Instructor at UCLA Extension, where she teaches history of architecture, interior design, furniture, and decorative arts. She is also Professor Emeritus of Art and Architectural History at Santa Monica College. She has done graduate work in fine and decorative arts at Sotheby's Institute in London and New York. She has served as a Design Review Commissioner for the City of Beverly Hills and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the John Lautner Foundation.

Oscar time is here! In 92 years, musical films have won the award for best picture ten times. Ten terrific musicals! Take a tour with us as we explore “American in Paris,” “The Great Ziegfeld,” “West Side Story,” and six more musical winners. Feel inspired and filled with unbridled joy with Oscar-winning performances.

Film historians Sam and Candy Caponegro are passionate about movie musicals. For over thirty years, they have acted, directed, and produced professional, community, and school theater. Candy’s most notable professional acting roles are Adelaine opposite Nathan Lane in Guys and Dolls and Cheri opposite Divine in the New York production of Women Behind Bars. Sam and Candy have taught numerous courses and lectures on cruise lines, at libraries, and for many 50+ audiences. They hope to keep the classic movie musical and the golden age of Broadway alive through their lectures.

One of the challenges to creating an informed opinion is that everything happens in a context. While one can perhaps learn the specific actions that take place in the Middle East, and particularly in Israel and Palestine, without understanding the history of the area, one cannot hope to understand why those actions take place. Further, the actions in Israel and Palestine very much impact life here in the United States. This course will attempt to consider the history of the area and understand the roots of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Though it is an incredibly challenging topic to consider, it is imperative to understanding one of the most divisive issues of our era.

Jason Hensley, PhD, teaches religious studies at a private school in Los Angeles. He is a fellow of the Michael LaPrade Holocaust Education Institute of the Anti-Defamation League, a member of Civic Spirit's teacher education cohort, and the award-winning author of 10 books. His work has been featured in The Huffington Post as well as the BBC, and he has served as the historical advisor for a Holocaust documentary.

Holocaust Museum LA is a museum dedicated to educating the public about the Holocaust, a tragic chapter in history during World War II when six million Jews, along with millions of others, were systematically persecuted and murdered by the Nazis.

This virtual tour and survivor talk will feature a look at historical artifacts, personal testimony with a survivor of the Holocaust, and multimedia presentations that detail the events of the Holocaust. Attendees will learn more about this dark chapter in history, gaining insights into the resilience of survivors, the impact on families and communities, and the broader historical context. The intention is to create a respectful and impactful environment where visitors can learn, reflect, and remember.

The Holocaust Museum LA is committed to educating the public about the Holocaust, commemorating the victims, and promoting awareness and understanding to prevent such atrocities in the future. The museum strives to be a place of remembrance, reflection, and education, fostering a commitment to human rights and tolerance.

Referred to as the "School of Paris" to set them apart from the French-born young artists of this period, this two-day course will look at the group of immigrant painters and sculptors who dominated the new art scene of Montparnasse in Paris for a couple of decades before World War II. The up-and-coming thriving artistic and literary neighborhood was centered around the varied and innovative artists Amedeo Modigliani, Marc Chagall, Chaim Soutine and Jules Pascin. Through struggles and tragedy, each artist eventually found success and respect.

Katherine E. Zoraster is an Art Historian and a Professor of Art History at several local colleges specializing in Western art from the Renaissance to the 20th century. She graduated with a double major in English Literature and Art History from the University of California, Los Angeles. Following her undergraduate degree, she received a Master’s Degree with Distinction in Art History from the California State University at Northridge.

America’s first all-female mariachi
Blazing a trail for women in a male-dominated musical genre, Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles brings sensitivity, beauty, warmth, and vivacious spirit to the historic art of mariachi. Established in 1994, the group had a strong beginning thanks to the mentorship of Lola Bertran, La Reina de La Musica Ranchera. Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles has since gone on to record three albums, share the stage with world-renowned musicians like Vicki Carr, Guadalupe Pineda and Lucha Villa, and perform for some of the world’s highest-profile celebrities including Tom Cruise, Oprah Winfrey, and Barack and Michelle Obama.

THREE FREE PUBLIC PERFORMANCES
Fri, Jan 19 | 7 PM | Isla Vista Elementary, 6875 El Colegio Rd, Goleta
Sat, Jan 20 | 7 PM | Guadalupe City Hall, 918 Obispo St, Guadalupe
Sun, Jan 21 | 6 PM | Marjorie Luke Theatre, The Marjorie Luke Theatre, 721 E Cota St, Santa Barbara

For more information please visit:
https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/learn/viva-el-arte-de-santa-barbara/

In this lecture, we will explore reporting during times of war. Dating back to Thucydides, correspondents have reported from the frontlines to keep people apprised of what was happening in war zones. In modern history, reporting on war has shaped public perceptions of conflict and influenced the government’s decision-making, while photojournalism has brought the reality of war to front pages and television screens. War correspondents risk their lives to bring the stories of war to the people and this work continues in coverage of today’s conflicts between Ukraine and Russia and Israel and Hamas. More recently, news organizations have become increasingly concerned about the impact such reporting has on its people, so this lecture will also touch on aspects of trauma-informed reporting.

Kirstie Hettinga (Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University) is an associate professor of communication at California Lutheran University. She teaches media writing, editing, and content creation and serves as the faculty adviser to Cal Lutheran’s award-winning student newspaper, The Echo. Her research addresses issues of accuracy and credibility in news media, as well as how students learn in student newsrooms. Her work has been published in Newspaper Research Journal, College Media Review, Journal of Media Ethics, and Journalism Practice.

America’s first all-female mariachi
Blazing a trail for women in a male-dominated musical genre, Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles brings sensitivity, beauty, warmth, and vivacious spirit to the historic art of mariachi. Established in 1994, the group had a strong beginning thanks to the mentorship of Lola Bertran, La Reina de La Musica Ranchera. Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles has since gone on to record three albums, share the stage with world-renowned musicians like Vicki Carr, Guadalupe Pineda and Lucha Villa, and perform for some of the world’s highest-profile celebrities including Tom Cruise, Oprah Winfrey, and Barack and Michelle Obama.

THREE FREE PUBLIC PERFORMANCES
Fri, Jan 19 | 7 PM | Isla Vista Elementary, 6875 El Colegio Rd, Goleta
Sat, Jan 20 | 7 PM | Guadalupe City Hall, 918 Obispo St, Guadalupe
Sun, Jan 21 | 6 PM | Marjorie Luke Theatre, The Marjorie Luke Theatre, 721 E Cota St, Santa Barbara

Napoleon was right when he noted “China is a sleeping giant. Let her sleep for when she awakes, she will move the world.” She has indeed awakened though too many Americans linger clueless about how powerful she has become and how dangerous this can be. She is the world’s second-largest economy with nuclear arms. Churchill called Russia a “riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” It is a superpower mired in the savage, botched invasion of neighboring Ukraine. It possesses more nuclear weapons than anyone else yet is obsessed with its own declining political and economic status. And America? It remains the foremost global power in history yet is riven by internal political discord and unsure of not only its power but what to do with it. China and Russia appear to be drawing closer to one another, what should be our response? Three nuclear powers: one rising, one falling, one wondering. They are like scorpions in a bottle, each with the capacity to kill the other, but itself die in the stinging. These talks explore the inter-relationships among the three, assess what is behind the rise and fall, and ask what do we have to fear and hope.

Dr. Herbert Gooch is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at California Lutheran University. He formerly served as Director of the Masters in Public Policy and Administration program and Assistant Provost for Graduate Studies at Cal Lutheran. A graduate of U.C. Berkeley in History, he holds a M.B.A in Management and both masters and doctoral degrees in Political Science from U.C.L.A. He has written extensively and is a frequent commentator on political affairs locally and statewide. He has been at Cal Lutheran since 1987 and lives in Newbury Park with his wife. His interests include politics, film and travel.

Los Angeles experienced a population explosion during World War II. Airplane factories like Donald Douglas, Lockheed, and Northrop were producing 80% of the warplanes for the British and French before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Once the U.S. entered the war, they were churning out planes 24/7. The need for workers led to new opportunities for Blacks, Hispanics, and women, but racism and sexism were still prevalent. In this presentation, we’ll look at how the fear of a Japanese invasion of L.A. led to nightly blackouts, air-raid drills, rationing, and the internment of thousands of Japanese that Americans feared were enemies. We’ll also look at the Hollywood movies that fostered patriotism, and the songs that cheered up soldiers and civilians alike. We’ll conclude with a view of how the war changed L.A. for the future — sprawling suburbs, crowded freeways, and the first smog alerts.

Sharon Boorstin is a contributing writer for the Los Angeles Times, specializing in lifestyle, food and travel. In 2019 she won Visit California’s Eureka Award for Best Newspaper Travel Article. In the 1970s and ‘80s, Sharon was the Restaurant Critic of the (late) Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, and in the ‘90s she edited the annual Gayot Guidebooks for Los Angeles and other cities. She also wrote for magazines including Bon Appetit, Smithsonian, and Town & Country Travel. With her husband Paul, she wrote dozens of screenplays for feature films and television including Angel of Death (ABC) starring Jane Seymour. Her memoir/cookbook, “Let Us Eat Cake: Adventures in Food and Friendship” (Harper-Collins 2002), was a selection of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club. Raised in Seattle, Washington, Sharon moved to Los Angeles in 1966 after earning a California Lifetime Teaching credential at U.C. Berkeley. She taught high-school History, English, and Social Studies in L.A. for 11 years.