Arts: Written, Visual & Performing

Forage through magazines for words, illustrations, photographs, pieces of costume jewelry, keys, cards, tickets, brochures, postcards, and hobby items. We will be working on a Masonite board (to be provided) and your finished piece can be set up on a small frame easel, framed, or be displayed proudly on your bookshelf.

Brain Games

Norm Bober, Tues. 3/28, 10 a.m. to noon, College of Health and Human Services, Room #1087

We have creative brains. Games and problem-solving activities that encourage “thinking outside the box” are an easy way to share grins, groans, giggles, and guffaws. A stretch for thought patterns and a playful experience can be had by all in this fun-filled course!

SoulCollage®

Kayle L Rice, Tues. 4/4 and 4/11, 9 to 11 a.m., StoryPoint, Activity Room SoulCollage®is a fun, creative tool for discovering the multi-faceted dimensions of your inner life. Allow yourself to be challenged and changed simply by using images from magazines, glue and 5x8 cards. You’ll be surprised by what your image is telling you – messages that come from your intuition, your inner voice, your energies.

The Nuts and Bolts of Researching Your Family Tree

Claire Johnson and Beverly Grambau, Wed. 4/5, 4/12, 4/19 and 4/26,10 a.m. to noon, Zhang Legacy Collections Center, Reading Room Exercise your brain by joining us in an introduction to the wild and crazy world of genealogy research! Take a step beyond spitting in a tube to find out your ethnicity and explore ways to fill out your family tree. This course will provide a basic introduction to research best practices and techniques as well as available tools and resources (both physical and electronic). Participants will be encouraged to set a goal and find information on one or more of their session.

Macbeth: Witches, Women and Patrick Stewart

Savannah Xaver, Mon. 1/23, 1/30, and 2/6, 1 to 2:30 p.m., College of Health and Human Services, Room #1024

As the title suggests, this three-session course will dive deep into William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Beginning with reading the play, we will discuss magic, the woman-like witches, Lady Macbeth’s characterization (and villainization), elements of tragedy, and contexts of Shakespeare’s stage and culture. Next, we will watch Rupert Goold’s Macbeth (2010), a BBC production starring Patrick Stewart, to discuss how literature is adapted to film. Finally, we will finish the course with dramatic readings and reimagining scenes to test our appreciation and application of Shakespearean tragedy.

Hollywood’s Cold War

Ed Martini, Wed, 1/25, 2/1, 2/8 and 2/15, 4 to 6:30 p.m., College of Health and Human Services, Room #2089

This course examines the ways in which American films during the first three decades of the Cold War expressed cultural tensions about the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. Exploring multiple genres and styles of films, each week we will learn about the historical context of the films under consideration, followed by a screening and discussion. Among the films we will screen are Dr. Strangelove, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Manchurian Candidate, and High Noon.

Learn to Make Cyanotypes, A Historical Photographic Process

Ginger Owen-Murakami Artist Lecture on Thur. 2/2, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., College of Fine Arts, Richmond Center for Visual Arts, Room #2008; Cyanotype Process Workshop on Fri. 2/3 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., College of Fine Arts, South Kohrman Hall, Room #2122

Artist Lecture - This lecture will introduce students to Dr. Ginger Owen-Murakami’s portfolio and her perspective on a variety of alternative photographic processes, their histories, and contemporary uses. Following, students will visit the artist’s exhibit in the RCVA gallery.

Cyanotype Process Workshop - Invented in 1842, cyanotype is an alternative photographic process that is still used by fine artists to produce prints on varieties of substrates, such as fabric and paper. This workshop will teach students how to make photograms – a camera-free photographic print. Following instruction, students will also learn how they can continue their creative work in their own homes. 

Experiencing Dance at WMU

Patricia Plasko, Wed. 2/8, 10 a.m. to noon, Gilmore Theater Complex, Atrium Fri. 2/10 8:00 p.m. Winter Gala Dance Concert Shaw Theatre, Gilmore Theatre Complex WMU *Participants required to purchase tickets Dance is inherently ephemeral – existing only in the moment of performance – but in that instant is the embodiment of human expression, vulnerability, and purpose. WMU Dance Alum Patricia Plasko will introduce participants to the elements of dance and share insights into the choreography and dance performances included in the 2023 Winter Gala Dance Concert. The class will include a behind-the-scenes look at concert preparations including dancer warm-ups, and WMU Dance faculty will discuss their choreography and stage production work on Wednesday, February 8, 2023. Participants are required to purchase a ticket for the Friday, February 10, 2023 concert.

History of Racism: An Experiential Journey via the Power of Film

Mark D Stucky, Mon. 2/13, 2/20, and 2/27, 2 to 3:30 p.m., First United Methodist Church You are invited to an immersive experience of what Black brothers and sisters have endured for centuries through images, sounds, and music from Hollywood movies and other video sources. The three sessions will ponder the periods of slavery (18th through mid-19th centuries), the Ku Klux Klan and Jim Crow era (mid-19th through mid20th centuries), and then examine current issues, including police killings and reparations (late-20th through early-21st centuries). Clips from a large variety of movies and videos will be viewed and their stories’ historical contexts will be discussed. Expect to be enlightened and emotionally moved.

Love & Samba: A Musical Journey to Brazil

Barry Kitch, Tues. 2/21 and 2/28, 2 to 4 p.m., College of Health and Human Services, Room #1093

Join us for an introduction to the music and culture of Brazil as told in song, featuring video performances by many of Brazil’s leading musical artists!

YOU GO GIRL: Four Formidable Females from Four Great Plays

D. Terry Williams, Wed. 3/8, 3/15, 3/22 and 3/29, 1 to 3 p.m., College of Health and Human Services, Room #1087

An in-depth analysis of four thought-provoking plays showcasing strong female characters in leading roles. Plays are to be read before each class in the following order: Antigone by Sophocles (March 8), Macbeth by Shakespeare (March 15), Mrs. Warren’s Profession (March 22) and Fences by August Wilson (March 29).

Jane Austen: So Much More Than Mr. Darcy

Carol Hodges, Mon. 3/13, 3/20 and 3/27, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friendship Village, Classroom Although author Jane Austen died more than 200 years ago, her books have an enduring fascination for many of us. In this class, we will look at some of the issues of her day. What effect did agricultural reform have on her writing? What about the British slave trade? Or the picturesque movement? We will explore the background knowledge her contemporaries brought to her novels, providing crucial context that is often missing for modern readers. In addition, we will look at her struggles as a female author.

Air Zoo: Creating a Cosmic Connection with Art

Air Zoo Staff, Thur. 3/16, 10 a.m. to noon, Air Zoo Dive into the cosmos and discover how astrophotos are created with a tour of the Air Zoo space wall! You will be introduced to elements of art and basic pastel techniques, and the fascinating ways they relate to planetary and galactic forms. Connect what you have learned to create a unique piece of cosmic art using pastels. Jay Berkow, Tues. 3/21, 4 to 6 p.m., Gilmore Theater Complex; 3/23, 7:30 p.m. or 3/26, 7:30 p.m., Shaw Theatre This course covers the history and development of one of America’s greatest musicals, On the Town. Topics studied will include background on the original creative artists, the history of the production and revivals, a deep dive into the development of a new production from concept to performance, the opportunity to see the show, and to engage in a post-performance conversation with the cast and creatives.

What It Was: Growing Up When the Music Mattered

James Pagliasotti, Wed. 3/22, 2 to 4 p.m. EST, online via Webex

The Classic Era of rock & roll music was a time of incredible creativity in the arts and in ways of living. It was a tumultuous time, too, when struggles over civil rights, the Vietnam war, political assassinations, and gender equity sometimes made it seem like the world was coming apart – but the music helped us get through it. It gave us a voice, an anthem, and a gathering place where we shared our dreams and our fears. This is a memoir of those times as experienced by a writer wielding press credentials and a backstage pass.

Wigging Out with Garrylee McCormick

Garrylee McCormick, Fri. 3/24, 2 to 4 p.m., Gilmore Theater Complex, Atrium Join Wig Master Garrylee McCormick to learn all about the creation of wigs for the WMU Theatre production of On the Town and enjoy the show that evening!

Step 1: Learn the ways to get various 1940’s Hairstyles— Setting and Comb Out.

Step 2: Learn the different ways to prep the actor’s hair prior to placing the wig.

Step 3: Learn all the various things that happen with wigs and hair prior to the start of the show. This includes setup, hair prep, mic placement, wig placement, hats, and other accessories.

Step 4: See a variety of wigs that will be used in the evening performance of On The Town.

We hope that by the end of the session you will have gained a better understanding about what goes into the styling and wearing of wigs for the stage!

Getting Crafty: Understanding and Creating Picture Books

Jamie Bienhoff, Fri. 4/7 and 4/14, 10 to 11:30 a.m. EST, online via Webex, and Fri. 4/21, College of Health and Human Services, Room #1024 Engage with the young people in your life through picture books! A common misconception of picture books is that they are “simple” and “easy,” but in reality, they can be quite complex to create. Authors and illustrators pay particular attention to the medium, design, colors, and words. Come learn about the history and terminology of picture books. Utilize your new skills to create your very own picture book scene from a fairytale, folktale, or nursery rhyme. All materials for the in-person component of the course will be supplied by the instructor.

The History and the Literature: “The Lincoln Highway”

Stan and Diane Henderson, Mon. 4/24, 1 to 3 p.m., The Fountains at Bronson Place, Auditorium Historical novels tell interesting stories about a time and its people, requiring authors to do extensive research so their writing accurately reflects history. Using The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles as our launching point, this class will offer a one-hour look at the history of United States in the 50s, as the country confronted the Cold War, embraced TV, danced to rock and roll, and fought for civil rights. We will continue with a discussion of the novel as contemporary literature. Participants should read The Lincoln Highway before class. Readers and history buffs welcome!

Readings in Existentialist Philosophies

David Paul, Tues. 1/10, 1/17, 1/31, 2/7, 2/14, 2/21, 2/28, 3/14, 3/21, 3/28, 4/4, 4/11 and 4/18, 2 to 4:30 p.m., Brown Hall, Room #4035 This course explores questions about the meaning of existence through readings including the biblical book of Job, Carl Jung’s book, Answer to Job, and selected texts from the philosophers Plato, Descartes, Kant, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Sartre. Together, with a class of WMU’s undergraduate students who are taking this Existentialist Philosophies course for credit, we’ll explore these deepest of questions together through facilitated dialogue. This course will meet once a week for two and a half hours, engaging in multiple small-group discussions focused on prompts selected by the professor to help everyone connect intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually with the readings.

Beginning Mah Jongg

Jane Duran, January: Mon. 1/23, 1/30, Wed. 1/25, 2/1; March: Mon. 3/6, 3/13, Wed. 3/8, 3/15; 10 a.m. to noon, Oakland Hills Clubhouse Mah Jongg is a Chinese game played with tiles, usually by four people. It is a fun game that is very addictive! It is also excellent exercise for your brain, too. The object is to collect winning sets or “hands,” like gin rummy. We will begin with the naming and familiarization with the rules card along with strategies for playing the game. Each player needs a new card each year, so participants will need to buy one before the course begins. Mah Jongg sets will be provided for the class. Once you learn how to play you will want to start your own group of players to keep up with the enthusiasm and fine tune your skills.