ESI College Summer 2023 - Elderly Services Inc.

This summer, ESI College is pleased to be offering three courses from the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian recently reached out to Elderly Services, allowing us to make this unique opportunity available. All the courses, for those 60 and over, give participants the chance to learn from and engage with Smithsonian study group leaders, who are experts in their fields. The courses will be offered online via Zoom. Registration will still be handled via ESI College’s online form. Registration is open now, and classes begin June 28.

Course Listings

(Please click on course titles for more information)

Art and Monuments: Honoring Memory and Service. Led by study group leaders from the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the American Battle Monuments Commission. Wednesday, June 28, 1:30-3 p.m. ~ over Zoom ~ $10

Beyond the Frame: American History through Artworks. Led by study group leaders from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Wednesday, July 5, 12, 19, 26, 1:30-3 p.m. ~ over Zoom ~ $25

This is Art: This is America. Led by study group leaders from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. August 2, 9, 16, 23, 1:30-3 p.m. ~ over Zoom ~ $25

Registration

https://elderlyservices.wufoo.com/forms/esi-college-registration-summer-2023/

We use an online registration system named “Wufoo” that provides an easy-to-use form to select your classes.
Please sign up at least 48 hours in advance so we can be in touch with you about the class.
Some classes have limited enrollment; others have readings.
Each person in your household must register separately. If you share the same email address, simply fill out a separate form for each person.
The registration system calculates the amount owed on a per person basis. The total cost for your classes will be listed when you complete your registration.
Some courses may require you to purchase books that will be available at the Vermont Book Shop at a discounted price.
After you submit your form, you will receive an automated email confirmation from “Elderly Services-ESI College <no-reply@wufoo.com>.”

Payment Options

You may pay by check. Please send it (within a week of registration) to:
Elderly Services-ESI College
P.O. Box 581
Middlebury, VT 05753
Or, you may make a debit/credit card payment via PayPal, as you complete the online registration form. You do not need a PayPal account to use this feature.

Connecting Online

To participate in online sessions via Zoom, you’ll need a computer, tablet, iPad, Chromebook, or smartphone with Zoom set up on it. A device with a webcam is preferable so people can see you.
We email you a Zoom link for each online class in the morning of each day’s class.
We don’t want technology to be a barrier! Please call us (802.388.3983) or email (college@elderlyservices.org) to learn more and schedule an appointment as we would be happy to help.

Day-of-Class Technical Support

We have technical support for every online class session via Zoom.
If you bump into any issues on the day of the class, please do not hesitate to call our support line at 802.349.2686. Please note: This is a new support line number we use only during online class sessions.

We look forward to seeing you!

Kristin Bolton
Jeff Rehbach
Geetha Wunnava

Courses for Summer 2023

Art and Monuments: Honoring Memory and Service
Instructors: Study group leaders from the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the American Battle Monuments Commission
Date: Wednesday June 28
Time: 1:30-3 p.m.
Location: Zoom
Cost: $10

As sites of our national memory, American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries honor the service and sacrifice of U.S. soldiers overseas. As the national institution that documents America’s stories through art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum reveals key aspects of America’s culture and history through its collection.

Honor, sacrifice, and service are themes that artists and war memorial designers have brought to life using many different forms of symbolism and allegories. During this 90-minute, interactive, single session program, representatives of the American Battle Monuments Commission and the Smithsonian American Art Museum help contextualize the history of memorials, monuments and art in their collections. Participants will compare what specific artworks and cemeteries meant when first created versus what they mean now. Explore the visual elements of sculpture, architecture, and two-dimensional works to understand how the design of their respective compositions work together to convey these themes.

Beyond the Frame: American History through Artworks
Instructors: Docents from the Smithsonian
Dates: Wednesdays, July 5, 12, 19 & 26
Time: 1:30-3 p.m.
Location: Zoom
Cost: $25

Artists give us a diverse window on American life, reflecting the cultural, social and political climate of the time in which they work. Explore the question, “What does art reveal about America?” as you examine better- and lesser-known aspects of American history to reframe your perspective. Join study group leaders as they facilitate an examination of America through the eyes of diverse artists in four discussion-based sessions, each focused on a separate era:

• SEEING IS THINKING: Learn the languages of art and consider the many choices artists make when creating their works. This session will focus on the analysis, interpretation, and critique of artworks, providing a foundation and common vocabulary for subsequent sessions.

• EARLY AMERICA: Art created by residents of New England and New Spain tells the story of a growing sense of nationhood and identity. Explore the historical context and peoples involved in the creation of our nation, territorial expansion and displacement, and economic development through artworks from colonial to Jacksonian America.

• 1861-1941: 80 Years of Change: Beginning with the Civil War and stretching through WWII, artists’ depictions of America during troubled times reflect a changing national identity.

• CONTEMPORARY LIFE: Americans entering the post-War era experienced a boom time clouded by global uncertainty. Artists grappled with how to reflect America’s changing social and political landscape. Analyze and interpret works made in response to various movements, and ponder together works that ask us: “What does it mean to be an American today?”

This is Art. This is America.
Instructors: Study group leaders from the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Date: Wednesdays, August 2, 9, 16, 23
Time: 1:30-3 p.m.
Location: Zoom
Cost: $25

The Smithsonian American Art Museum is home to one of the largest and most inclusive collections of American art in the world. Its holdings capture the aspirations, character and imagination of the American people throughout three centuries. Drawing from the museum’s extensive collections, join study group leaders as they shine a light on the contributions of overlooked, marginalized and self-taught artists from diverse backgrounds working in a variety of media who have contributed to the nation’s rich visual heritage. Four discussion-based sessions will explore:

• HISTORY, CULTURE, IDENTITY: The two middle sessions will each invite participants to explore works by artists from groups well-represented in SAAM’s collection, which could include African American, Latinx, Native, and Asian American Pacific Islander artists. Through their artworks, see history, culture, and identity as members of a group and as Americans reflected and explored.

• THIS IS ART?: Beyond the traditional media of paintings and marble sculptures lie a host of artworks that some might not expect to find in the collection of an art museum. Come prepared to discuss the historical and aesthetic roots of works that may include craft, found object, or contemporary works by trained and self-taught artists. Discuss SAAM’s works with an open mind. Leave with a new sense of how art represents the diverse American experience.