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Is it in the water? The air they breathe? Brooklyn has given us an unbelievable quantity and quality of singers, songwriters, and music industry VIP’s. In this uncensored and spirited lecture, we will discuss the possible reasons this one borough of New York City produced so much talent. From George Gershwin, Carole King, and Marvin Hamlisch; Brooklyn songwriters have written much of the music of our lives! Also, the singers from Brooklyn have been a staple on the radio forever: Neil Diamond, Harry Chapin, Barry Manilow, to name just a few. Many movers and shakers from the Entertainment industry also grew up there: Clive Davis & David Geffen are examples. Join us as we discover the songs and the artists of Brooklyn! Tony Moon has spent 60 successful years in the music business. Beginning in 1960 he joined the L.A. group, Dante and The Evergreens, managed and produced by Lou Adler and Herb Alpert. He later moved to Nashville becoming a guitarist and conductor for Brenda Lee. He also began playing on recording sessions and was Nashville's first rock independent music producer, working with five major labels. Tony scored several big hits for The Vogues, including "5 O’clock World." Tony has won several awards as a songwriter and music publisher. His songs have been released by artists such as Porter Wagoner, Willie Nelson, Vickie Carr, Pearl Jam, and The Beatles. Tony currently administers several Music Publishing Companies and a New York Entertainment Company. The Fifty and Better program was designed to offer university-level courses (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for individuals age 50 and older.

Over his very brief career of only ten years, Vincent van Gogh was incredibly prolific and explored a variety of styles based on his exposure to different artists and locales. The stages of his style can be divided by the geographic regions in which he was working, linking him to the influences with whom he came into contact. Beginning his career in his home of the Netherlands, his dark works show the impact of Dutch Masters seen in museums, his time in Paris sees the lightened palette of the Impressionists, and the culmination of his unique and personal expressions executed in the South of France reflect the bright and vivid light which inspired him. This review will focus on some of the highlights of each of these three stages of Van Gogh's career. 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. In addition to the courses Katherine teaches for other lifelong learner programs, she also works as an Adjunct Professor of Art History at Moorpark College and an Art History Instructor for the full-time program at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Arts. Katherine also serves as a commissioner for the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission and volunteers at the Burbank Animal Shelter. In her free time Katherine is an avid runner and travels extensively. The Fifty and Better program was designed to offer university-level courses (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for individuals age 50 and older.

The governance of public schools is rather complex issue that incorporates various government entities at the federal, state and local levels. Added to the mix are a variety of organizations and special interest groups that have an impact on what is taught, how it is taught, to whom, and under what circumstances. In recent times, schooling has become highly politicized. However, this is not new. To understand how this happens, this lecture will examine the structure of public education in the United States and how it has evolved. Dr. Carol A. Bartell is Dean and Professor Emeritus of the Graduate School of Education at California Lutheran University. She also served as Interim Dean at several Cal State Universities. She has taught at every level of education, from preschool to doctoral students, working in six states during her long career. She has served in a state policy role at the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and held appointments on many state and national organizations and advisory boards. Her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies is from Virginia Tech. The Fifty and Better program was designed to offer university-level courses (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for individuals age 50 and older.

The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art is pleased to present a solo exhibition of prolific contemporary artist Faig Ahmed. From his studio in Baku, Azerbaijan, Ahmed creates textile works that transcend and transform the history of carpet making in the region. Ahmed is interested in how the contemporary and the traditional collide to create something new that defies genres, borders, and even history.

Unconventional, energetic and independent, the New York City born Isabella Stewart Gardner commonly appeared in the Boston gossip pages as she blazed trails as socialite, art patron, and art collector. Beginning in the 1890s, she and her husband Jack began seriously collecting art while traveling through Europe, America, and Asia developing a world-renown and eclectic collection. Near the end of the nineteenth century, "Mrs. Jack" as she was known, began planning the building and design of a new home in the Fenway area of Boston houses to accommodate and show off her growing collection. In this two-part lecture, we look at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, which was designed according to her personal and eccentric aesthetic, and the immense collection of works of art including pieces by Titian, Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt, John Singer Sargent, Edgar Degas, and many others. Part 1 will talk more about Isabella’s biography, origins, and early collecting. Part 2 will discuss the foundation of her museum. (This lecture can be taken independently, though it is recommended that you take them together.)

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.
In addition to the courses Katherine teaches for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute through UCLA Extension and California State University at Channel Islands, she also works as an Adjunct Professor of Art History at Moorpark College and an Art History Instructor for the full-time program at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Arts. Katherine also serves as a commissioner for the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission and volunteers at the Burbank Animal Shelter. In her free time Katherine is an avid runner and travels extensively.

Fifty and Better was designed to offer university-level courses and lectures (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for individuals age 50 and older.

Bible translators must make choices. Every word in Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic has a range of meaning––and that range often doesn't match up exactly with the range of meaning of words in English. Because of this, when translators make a choice of how to translate––as they must do––the range of meaning that existed in the original language is thus limited to what is conveyed by English. How has this limiting through translation affected the way that gender is presented in the Bible? What passages about gender, men, and women, could have been translated differently? These lectures will first examine the basics of Bible translation and will then consider specific passages where the Hebrew and the Greek originals could present a slightly different picture of men and women than many English translations often present.

Part 1 will focus on the Jewish Scriptures and ways that particular Hebrew words and terms have been translated when applied to different genders––it will examine the difficulty of translation, and also the possible cultural values that can be created specifically by the way that translators translate the Hebrew Bible.

Like the previous lecture, Part 2 will consider how Bible translation can impact cultural views and gender roles, but this lecture will focus specifically on the translation of the Christian Scriptures.

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.

Fifty and Better was designed to offer university-level courses and lectures (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for individuals age 50 and older.

From 1924 to 1937, there was no Broadway songwriting team as potent as George and Ira Gershwin. Growing up on the streets of New York at the dawn of the 20th century, the Gershwins were among the first to infuse popular song with an undeniably American flavor. Their brash and distinctive music reflected the dissonances and restlessness of urban life and the unabashed optimism shared by many immigrants who came to the United States seeking their fortune. Gershwin tunes strutted, swaggered, and sparkled with emotions ranging from desperate loneliness to unbridled enthusiasm. In this lecture, we will trace this remarkable partnership on Broadway, which ended tragically with George Gershwin's death from a brain tumor in 1937. Shows discussed will include "Lady, Be Good!," "Girl Crazy," "Strike Up the Band," "Of Thee I Sing," "Porgy and Bess," and more, featuring rare vintage recordings as well as modern interpretations.

Cary Ginell is a Grammy-nominated writer and author of 12 books on American music. After a 30-year career in radio, he has spent the last 20 years as a public speaker, talking about music in classrooms, at conferences, and on cruise ships. Cary brings a lifelong passion for the recording industry to his work and is one of the world’s foremost authorities on his specialty, western swing. Cary previously served as President of the Association for Recorded Sound Collections, an international organization of music scholars and world-renowned institutions. He holds a master’s degree in Folklore from UCLA and a bachelor’s in Radio/TV/Film from Cal State University Northridge.

Fifty and Better was designed to offer university-level courses and lectures (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for individuals age 50 and older.

What was the Art Market like during the years of WWII? Today, we are more aware of the Nazi thefts, we celebrate the find of a lost object and the success of restitution claims.

Yet, what happened to the art dealers who attempted to protect their collections or of the artists they helped to shield and support? And, which dealers were willing to collaborate with the Nazis in order to gain safety, prestige, financial reward or power? Join in examining the great art houses of Paris, the Wildenstein family, Gertrude Stein, Paul Rosenberg, Hildebrand Gurlitt and others who directed the fate of art.

This two-part lecture will examine the lives of those dealers as we peel back the veneer of staged auctions, forced sales and forged provenance. The impact of the actions by the dealers and collaborators continue to affect the art world to this day. (These lectures can be taken independently of each other.)


Christine Maasdam holds a Master in Humanities and a B.A. in Cultural Geography. Her art studies include The Courtauld Institute of Art in London, The Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center in D.C. and Post Graduate studies in Antiquities Trafficking and Art Crime at the University of Glasgow. She is a graduate of the Art Crime Investigation Seminar led by Robert Wittman, founder of the FBI's National Art Crime Team. Christine is a member of the International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection and holds a certificate from Trident Manor on Protection of Cultural Venues. Christine received Sotheby’s certification on Determining Value: An Appraiser’s Perspective. She has spent over a decade as a LACMA docent and is an active volunteer at the City of David archaeological dig in Israel.

Fifty and Better was designed to offer university-level courses and lectures (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for individuals age 50 and older.

One of the superstars of early 20th Century pop culture is the now mostly forgotten comic strip creator, pioneer animator and political cartoonist Winsor McCay. Often called the “father of the animated film,” McCay’s influence during his lifetime was far reaching. He raised the bar of daily comic strip art to a level rarely surpassed or ever equaled. His most fabled comic strips “Dreams of a Rarebit Fiend” and “Little Nemo” ran for years and were republished for decades after.

McCay was also a successful entertainer on the vaudeville stage where he combined “live drawing” performances, storytelling, and his early animated films. The great Looney Tunes animator Chuck Jones wrote: “After McCay’s animation it took his followers twenty years to figure out how he did it. The two most important people in animation are Winsor McCay and Walt Disney and I’m not sure who should go first.”

We will explore McCay’s varied output of comic art, his animation experiments as well as his unique life story which includes his rather tumultuous later career as the country’s foremost political cartoonist working under the thumb of the legendary William Randolph Hearst.

We will also look at a rare re-enactment of McCay’s live performance with his most famous animated character “Gertie the Dinosaur”, recreated by non-other than Walt Disney.

Matthew Weisman received his MFA in Film from Columbia University School of the Arts where he also taught classes in Cinema Studies and directed the Cinematheque film program. His undergraduate degree in English is from Boston University. A professional screenwriter and producer, he taught Graduate Screenwriting at the USC School of Cinema for fifteen years. He is a retired member of The Writers Guild of America. He has taught several continuing education courses in film and television history and appreciation both online and in the classroom.

Fifty and Better was designed to offer university-level courses and lectures (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for individuals age 50 and older.

The term “genocide” was coined in the 1940s, although genocides have occurred repeatedly since the beginning of time. Why? And what exactly is a genocide? What is the difference between physical genocide and cultural genocide? This course will spend time examining the history of the term and considering multiple case studies both from ancient times and more modern centuries––including analyzing whether or not the current war in Ukraine involves genocide.

Part 1 will discuss the origin of the word "genocide" and then consider the retroactive application of that term on massacres and violence before the middle of the 20th century. It will discuss possible genocides in the Bible and the application of genocide to the history of the United States and North America.

Part 2 will review the official UN definition of genocide and will then examine modern genocides, touching on the Holocaust, Yugoslavia in the 1990s, and discussing whether or not the current war in Ukraine connects to genocide.
(These lectures can be taken independently of each other.)

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.

Fifty and Better was designed to offer university-level courses and lectures (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for individuals age 50 and older.