Senior University June Class Highlights and July Class Sneak Preview

Explore the drum circle, blacks in Rembrandt’s time, the future of European security, and more!

Discover Drums! Learning Percussion and Drum Circle

Join us to experience what music making can be like as part of a real drum circle! No prior experience is needed, and all instruments and materials are provided by the Tacoma Youth Symphony Association. Through these classes, you’ll learn the basics of playing percussion instruments, try out instruments such as a djembe, frame drum, talking drum, and more! Grow your drum skills in this fun and engaging environment.

Friday, June 5, June 12, June 19, & June 26, 10:00 am, Bristol View 1^st Floor Bowditch Room

Fairytales in Opera

An overview of fairytale operas including discussion of familiar tales, traditions of different countries, and modern inventions.

Wednesday, June 10, June 17, & June 24, 10:00 – 11:30 am, Bristol View 1^st Floor Bowditch Room

Blacks in Rembrandt’s Time: The Culture of Race in 17th-century Dutch Art

This talk aims to recover an aspect of art history that has long been neglected or suppressed. It focuses on Africans who were often depicted in 17th-century Dutch art as the racial “Other.” Some of these Dutch portraits and genre paintings show blacks as stereotypical commodities: accessories to a luxurious way of life. Can it be coincidental that during this period, the Dutch became heavily involved in the slave trade? Yet other artists, such as Rembrandt, in his Two Africans (1650s), represented black figures in a nuanced, sensitive manner, after life.  This talk explores the various lenses that 17th-century Dutch viewers may have used, when confronting these unusual artworks. What sorts of lenses might we use, in light of our current climate of divisiveness and ideological conflict?

Thursday, June 11, 3:00 pm, Bristol View 1^st Floor Bowditch Room

Great Decisions: Ukraine and the Future of European Security

With reduced U.S. support for NATO and Ukraine, Europe faces strategic uncertainty. The Trump administration has signaled an intention to reduce its security role in Europe. What are America’s stakes in NATO and Europe’s strategic dilemmas, and how might Europe respond? 

Thursday, June 18, 2:30 pm, Zoom (Pre-register to receive the Zoom link)

July Class Sneak Preview

Art as a Response to the World Around Us*
During this lecture, Artist and professor Rebecca Padilla will share perspectives on art and creative practices that engage with environmental concerns and ecological complexities as avenues for engagement with the spaces in which we dwell. Padilla will discuss the work and research of contemporary artists working in these fields, as well as her own.

July 10, 11:00 am, Bristol View 1^st Floor Bowditch Room

Pretty Gritty Tour: Walking Tour of 6th Ave#
This hip tour will follow the course of 6th Ave as it connects the East and West coasts of Tacoma. Once just a local logging trail, this commercial street was branded as 6th Ave to attract shoppers and commuters. This one-hour tour will talk about the local history, architecture, and street art as it paints a comprehensive picture of the original streetcar line that was replaced by Highway 16.

Pre-registration is required and the cost for the event is $25.

July 29, 10:00 – 11:30 am, Field Trip (bus departs the Bistro at 9:30 am)

American Musics Hosted by EJ Crocker – Kat Bula & EJ Crocker: Fiddle Tunes and Beyond*         
Seattle-based violinist/songwriter Kat Bula joins us this July for an evening of songs of all kinds: country and western music, sure, but also Brazilian tunes and some James Taylor! Both Kat and EJ fit into the category of ‘none-such players’: musicians whose careers take them beyond the typical genres, roles, and musical responsibilities of their instruments.

July 31, 4:00 pm, MJ Wicks Wellness Center

Registration required for all classes. To register please call 253-756-6219 or email Jana at jwennstrom@franketobeyjones.com

For a full class and activity list, click here