Lifelong Learning

BY AMANDA SPENCER, ACADEMY COORDINATOR

Dr. Tom Cimarusti For The Academy of Lifelong Learning, fall was filled with many exciting and educational events, including Unconfined Creativity:

Works from the Crossroads Prison

Art Project. Eliezer Yeong, the Art Project Coordinator from Crossroads Prison Ministry, spoke about the unique pieces on exhibit in the Tribby Art Center. He was joined by Robert Woldhuis, a former prisoner who is now a Crossroads employee. He said the ministry changed his outlook on life and gave him hope in a time of deep despair, leading him to find an outlet in art. Many of the exhibition’s pieces were created from everyday objects, but were astonishingly beautiful and full of meaning. Eliezer spoke about a piece of pottery that had been broken in transit to the Ministry. Yet by employing a Japanese technique called Kintsugi, they were able to join the fractured pieces back together and make something new and beautiful. This serves as an apt metaphor: although the prisoners may be broken, they can again become whole by embracing God and his teachings.

The Academy also happily reinstated the popular Lunch and Learn series with That’s Amore! An Afternoon in Naples, Italy. Dr. Tom Cimarusti transported us to Naples to explore its musical history, from early operas to more recent ItalianAmerican classics. The Grand Cypress Room tables were beautifully set with fresh flowers and linens in the colors of the Italian flag. The Palm Grill team created an outstanding menu of Neapolitan favorites, including house-made focaccia bread and delicious Arancini filled with risotto, mushrooms and peas, sundried tomato and micro basil – a dish that brought the red, green, and white of the Italian flag to our plates! After a main course of Briacole, which is a rolled flank steak filled with prosciutto and cheese, we enjoyed a delicious cannoli while being serenaded by Dr. Cimarusti and tenor Carlos Esquilin from Florida Gulf Coast University’s Bower School of Music. The event ended on a high note with a spirited sing-along to “That’s Amore!” Looking ahead to the winter season, the Academy is hosting favorite presenters with the return of Thomas Tyrrell and our current events series “News From Over There”; several delightful musical programs from Dr. Tom Cimarusti; and a look back into history with Nancy Maxwell and Dr. Jerry Franz. We also have new presenters and topics, such as the funny and upbeat motivational speaking of Barbara Smith; a look at the construction of the Hoover Dam through documentary; and several Health Matters lectures to keep you healthy and happy well into 2023!

Eliezer Yeong, Vida Burgess (Arbor), Robert Woldhuis

A selection of Academy events in Connie Brown Hall at the Tribby Arts Center. Register for these sessions at your Concierge Desk. Academy

of Lifelong Learning

AT SHELL POINT

HOLIDAYS AROUND THE WORLD

Monday, December 5 at 4:30 p.m.

Come join FGCU Professor of Music History Dr. Tom Cimarusti as he explores the rich musical traditions associated with holidays from around the world, including Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and Omisoka. Participants will be invited to partake in this musical journey and sing along as Dr. Cimarusti introduces holiday selections from Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. A special guest from Ukraine will be a featured artist.

PEARL HARBOR DAY DOCUMENTARY

Wednesday, December 7 at 1 p.m.

On December 7, 1941 at 7:55 a.m., the attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor began — an event that ultimately ushered the United States into WWII. This devastating attack took the lives of many service members and civilians on Oahu and forever changed our nation. Shell Point commemorates Pearl Harbor Day with a documentary that explores the history of this momentous day in WWII.

HATS OFF! THE HAT LADY BARBARA SMITH

Thursday, December 8 at 10 a.m.

If there is one thing that sought-after motivational speaker Barbara Smith has learned in life, it’s that no matter what the job description, you will be required to wear a few more hats! Come and watch The Hat Lady model her collection from her whimsical hatbox. You will laugh, sigh, and enjoy how often you identify with each chapeau! Barbara has presented her hats in 16 states to audiences of all types, from national organizations to hospital groups.

BONUS CONCERT! MUSIC, LOVE, AND MADNESS

Wednesday, December 14 at 7 p.m.

Academyof Join Dr. Tom Cimarusti and AT SHELL POINT Lifelong Learning special guests from the FGCU Bower School of Music in exploring a most fascinating musical figure: German composer Robert Schumann. Vividly illustrating the very essence of 19th-century ACADEMY of Romanticism, Schumann’s LIFELONG LEARNINGlife was filled with aural AT SHELL POINThallucinations, bouts with depression, and a legal battle to win the hand of his future wife, Clara. Yet, Schumann amassed a formidable catalog of masterworks before languishing in ACADEMY of an institutional confinement just prior to his death. Music, love, and LIFELONG LEARNINGmadness make for a rather fantastic life story, but what remains are the AT SHELL POINTcomposer’s many musical masterpieces, from large scale symphonies to intimate chamber works. Enjoy an incredible live performance of arguably one of the greatest chamber works of all time: Schumann’s Piano Quintet in E-flat Major.

ACADEMY of LIFELONG LEARNING WASHINGTON AT TRENTON: DECEMBER 25-26, 1776

AT SHELL POINT

Friday, December 23 at 10 a.m.

The year 1776 seemed a disaster. The British anticipated the end of the war soon, following a long string of victories against ill-equipped and poorly trained Americans. Then, in one of the most unexpected and pivotal events in American history, Washington led American troops over the icy Delaware River on Christmas Day and shrewdly snatched sensational New Jersey victories at Trenton (December 26) and Princeton (January 3). The news swept through the Colonies, and the patriot cause was given a second birth. Join FGCU’S Dr. Jerry Franz as he shares this inspiring story.