This is a fact-based lecture history of African Americans in the U.S. since 1619. Class is participatory, examining contemporary problems of American history most of us were never taught. If class is full, please enroll for the waitlist as we will likely add additional sections.

From the first organized games, through the Millers, the World Series wins by the Twins, to today's ownership drama, Minnesota baseball is full of stories. Learn about the rich history of baseball in our state with fellow enthusiasts.

Do you dream of strolling through Claude Monet’s garden? Are you moved by Mary Cassatt’s tender depictions of mothers with their children? Do the ballerina paintings of Edgar Degas make you want to get up dance? We will break down what makes Impressionism so special and how it paved the way for Modern Art. We’ll also discuss why the Impressionists were despised in their own time, only to become beloved heroes of art history.

Film is art (and entertainment). You'll watch great films at home, directed by men and women, modern, black and white, American, foreign, and then meet to discuss the story, themes, and cinematic technique. A subscription to Criterion Channel streaming service will be required. 1st movie to watch ahead of class will be sent a week prior to the beginning of class.

Come join in an evening examination about sustainable community organizing methods methods and practices. Learn about different organizing styles that highlight different tools in the toolkit that could be applied to current efforts. This class is participatory so bring your best thinking on how to grow community strength and power. If class is full, please enroll in the waitlist. We will contact you if a space becomes available.

Capitalism, socialism, anarchism, fascism, democracy...What do these and similar terms really mean? What type of society does each describe? We will discuss these terms, as well as concepts we can use to make sense of conflicting definitions.

Frida Kahlo lived an illustrated life. She was brutally honest with herself and with the public, often using her paintings as a form of art therapy. Her short life was a constant struggle between tragedy and pain, creativity and artistic success. Together we'll discuss her life and times and the lasting impact of her profound work.

Slide into the history of America's Pastime. Learn the stories that made baseball what it is today and how that history reflects and has shaped our country. Through videos and discussion, chart the course of the sport from Abner Doubleday to Shohei Otani.

Break through stereotypes and misunderstandings about U.S. immigration laws and policies. Gain a better appreciation for the variety of paths through the complex U.S. immigration system that immigrants in our community traverse. Get your questions answered and better understand policies their impact on current events and news. Megan Galasso is an experienced lawyer who helps individuals, families, and companies navigate the complex U.S. immigration system.

Join a lively discussion to learn about your Somali Neighbors: their story, history, struggles, achievements, culture, faith, way of life, and more. This event will provide you with a safe room to ask any related questions about your neighbor. We look forward to seeing you in our journey to break through any stereotypes and misconceptions about each other and build a stronger community together.

In 1839, 53 Africans were captured in western Africa in what is modern day Sierra Leone. The Transatlantic slave trade had been banned by international treaty. But a number of European countries turned a blind eye to violations. Shipped to Cuba and sold to slave traders, the 53 were given Cuban identities in what amounted to a human trafficking operation for African slaves. Boarded on a Schooner called the Amistad, the 53 rose up and killed the ship's captain and a crew member. Taking control of the schooner, it sailed aimlessly in the Atlantic along the United States coast. Seized by a United States Coast Guard ship, African would be charged with Murder and Piracy in the United States. Learn about this early abolitionist's fight to free the Africans. The case had consequences for United States international relations with Spain and the division between the American north and South pre-Civil War.

Hilma af Klint was a talented Swedish artist whose public work was the height of conventional realism at the dawn of the 20th century. Decades after her death, a treasure trove of paintings and works on paper revealed an artist who created monumental abstracts in daring colors inspired by spiritual guides from another realm. These works predate the modernist paintings of Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian and Kazimir Malevich, considered the forefathers of the abstract avant-garde. What do these paintings mean and why did she work in secret? Is the world finally ready to accept the secret paintings of Hilma af Klint?

We use the term "surreal" to describe things that are weird, dream-like, or uncanny, but the Surrealism art movement is a bit more challenging to define. Influenced by the horrors witnessed and experienced during WW1 and the advancements in psychoanalysis, Surrealism is a movement filled with emotion and vulnerability and is often open to interpretation. We'll look at the work of artists Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte, Frida Kahlo, and Leonora Carrington and together we'll see if we can get at the root of what these artists were trying to say with their work.

Celebrate a few of the women artists who captured their unique and distinct perspectives of the world through photography. Spanning the realms of photojournalism, war correspondence, Surrealism and societal commentary, this presentation will feature the work of Dorothea Lange, Lee Miller, Dora Maar, Ana Mendieta, Cindy Sherman and Laurie Simmons.