Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Ringling College Announces its Summer Semester

April 26, 2024 | Sarasota

Registration is open for the 2024 summer semester at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Ringling College, which offers noncredit educational opportunities for adults to pursue new interests, expand intellectual horizons, and enrich their lives. The semester, which runs May 13-July 2, 2024, features more than 40 single-session courses, tours, presentations, movies, and hands-on programs covering a wide variety of topics, including arts and entertainment, history, music appreciation, health, literature, philosophy, religion, and science. Semester highlights include Opera Houses: Musical Landscapes of Power;What Wall Street Doesn’t Want YOU to Know; Why Are You Left-Handed or Right-Handed?; Creating the Florida Landscape You Love; The Early Days of Comic Books (1939-1948); and a tour of St. Petersburg’s Imagine Museum and Duncan McClellan Gallery. Classes are offered at Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.

Tour highlights of the summer 2024 semester include:

Marietta Museum of Art & Whimsy

During this guided tour with founder Marietta Lee, hear firsthand why she created a museum dedicated to the creative human spirit that raises the importance of whimsical art. This unique museum showcases a collection of light-hearted paintings, sculptures, stained glass, and artworks in a range of mediums. 

Highwaymen at City Hall

Collector Roger Lightle leads this guided tour of the Florida Highwaymen exhibition at City Hall. The Florida Highwaymen emerged in the 1950s in the agricultural communities of Fort Pierce and Gifford, Florida. They were prolific painters who sold their artwork from the trunks of their cars during the post-World War II boom because they were unable to exhibit through traditional means due to racial barriers.

St. Petersburg Tour: Imagine Museum and Duncan McClellan Gallery

A comprehensive docent-led tour through the entire Imagine Museum offers participants a deeper understanding of the artists, their inspirations, and the techniques behind their creations. The Duncan McClellan Gallery is a transformed former fish and tomato packing plant. Now a work of art in itself, the multi-functional space is a meeting place for glass artists. The sculpture garden and the hot shop are not to be missed.

The Truth of the Night Sky: Anne Patterson and Patrick Harlin

Multimedia artist Anne Patterson and composer Patrick Harlin, explorer of soundscape ecologies, collaborated to create an awe-inspiring immersive installation for Sarasota Art Museum. Patterson, a synesthete who sees color and shape when hearing music, has frequently collaborated with musicians, including Harlin, to design mesmerizing environments. 

Course highlights of the summer 2024 semester include:

Opera Houses: Musical Landscapes of Power

Explore the fantastic designs of opera houses throughout the world. Milan’s Teatro alla Scala is perhaps the most famous opera house in the world, the Sydney Opera is one of the most distinctive and unique buildings considered a masterpiece of 20th-century architecture, and the Metropolitan is the largest house with a 38,000-seat capacity. The evolution of architectural styles from Beaux Arts to more recent innovative styles will be presented including locations in China, Dubai, and Azerbaijan.

The Early Days of Comic Books (1939-1948)

From the days of Superman’s first appearance in 1939, followed by Batman, the Human Torch and others in 1940, comic books helped us define a worldview of heroism, patriotism, and do-good-ism, through World War II and the critical post-war era. This discussion will focus on the origins of these heroes, their earliest appearances and backstories, and the role they played in shaping public perception of World War II and the aftermath.

What’s it Worth?

Bring one item that you have been curious about and Andrew Ford, a seasoned antique and fine art acquisitions expert, will assess its worth. With decades of knowledge and experience, Ford can accurately evaluate the value of your treasure, whether it’s a sterling silver necklace from your great aunt, or a glass sculpture.

My Life in Newspapers

Carrie Seidman, opinion columnist and dance critic for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, will share stories of her 40-plus years in newspaper journalism — from her start as one of the few women covering men’s professional basketball to her current “beat” — and recount the personal experiences that propelled her professional specialization in the area of mental health. Seidman will also touch on the contraction of the newspaper industry and why the loss of community journalism matters.

What Wall Street Doesn’t Want YOU to Know

Find out why “Black Swans” and “Gray Rhinos” happen, how retail investors are the last to know, and how Wall Street preys on the two primary investing emotions: fear and greed. The Day Hagan team will provide practical tips and best practices for selecting investments, constructing portfolios, and managing risk.

Creating the Florida Landscape You Love 

If you’re tired of the same, over-used landscaping and want to create an eye-catching and colorful landscape to increase curb appeal, this session will cover what to plant to create a landscape to love and increase a home’s value. Participants will also get tips on how to care for gardens in Florida’s extreme weather conditions.

Explore Sounds and Rhythms with Drums

This innovative and interactive percussion experience offers the opportunity to explore sounds, rhythms, percussion instruments, and drums. This educational workship is fun, energetic, and entertaining. Prior experience is not necessary, and instruments will be provided.

Discussing James Baldwin Short Stories

James Baldwin was a writer, scholar, and activist. His superb mind and exceptional observations are revealed in his novels, essays, and short stories. Baldwin’s works continue to inspire us today and will continue to inspire us forever. Students are expected to read two short stories that will be emailed to them after they register for this discussion.

Why Are You Left-Handed or Right-Handed?

Most people — 85% to 90% — are right-handed and have been since the Stone Age. This session will focus on the genetic, neurological, and cultural factors that influence our preference for using one hand over the other, and what can be inferred from that preference. We will examine when handedness emerges in children and age-related changes in hand dominance.

To register or for more information about becoming an OLLI member, visit www.OLLIatRinglingCollege.org or call 941-309-5111.