May 2013

Monthly newsletter from the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Oregon in Portland

Academic Extension • 70 NW Couch Street, Portland, OR 97209 • 800-824-2714 • osher.uoregon.edu

Oregon Culinary Institute Luncheon 

Tuesday, May 28, 11:45 a.m.

Give your taste buds a treat with lunch at the Oregon Culinary Institute’s fine-dining restaurant. Under the guidance of a chef instructor, students of OCI will prepare a three-course lunch for you to enjoy with your fellow OLLI friends.

For $12.00 (gratuity included), enjoy a starter, entrée, nonalcoholic beverage, and dessert. Entrée options usually include a pork, seafood, pasta, or steak dish. View their regularly updated menu online at: http://www.oregonculinaryinstitute.com/restaurant/ 

Reservations are required for this luncheon. Contact the OLLI-UO office at 503-412-3653 by 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22, to secure your spot. Seating is limited.

Meet at 11:45 a.m. at the Oregon Culinary Institute, located at 1701 SW Jefferson Street. We will be seated promptly at noon. Bring $12.00 in exact cash to be paid to group leader George Davidson at the time of payment.

FROM PAGE TO STAGE—SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER ADRIANA BAER 

Wednesday, May 15, 1:00–2:30 p.m.

Profile Theatre’s Artistic Director Adriana Baer will speak to OLLI-UO study group From Page to Stage on Wednesday, May 15, at 1:00 p.m. Don’t miss this special presentation as she discusses Profile Theatre’s recent productions of Athol Fugard’s plays.

From Page to Stage will be reading Fugard’s play, My Children, My Africa, on Wednesday, May 22.

NEW DVD SERIES—RELIGIONS OF THE AXIAL AGE: AN APPROACH TO THE WORLD’S RELIGIONS 

Beginning Tuesday, May 21, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

“What could the beliefs and traditions of a Zoroastrian, a person of Jewish faith, a Buddhist, a follower of Confucius, or a Christian have in common? How do religions evolve over time? This course offers a rare opportunity to relate your own spiritual questions to a variety of ancient quests for meaning and transcendence. In Religions of the Axial Age, Professor Mark W. Muesse shows you the historical conditions in which the world religions arose, while letting you see how they answered shared metaphysical and human dilemmas. He helps you think about specific traditions while pondering the common processes of religious development

“You will explore fascinating aspects of several major world religions at the time of their birth. Although Professor Muesse emphasizes the early religious traditions of Iran, South Asia, and China, he also shows how these compare, contrast, and contribute to contemporary Judaism, Christianity, and Islam” (http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/courses/course_detail.aspx?cid=6312).

View the May calendar schedule online at http://osher.uoregon.edu/calendar/pdx-month.php

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
of the University of Oregon in Portland

Monday, February 25,
11:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Join OLLI-UO for a day at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum where we’ll enjoy two docent-led tours of the museum. Tours, which are usually led by veteran pilots, will provide unique insight into the field of aviation. Members will have the opportunity to see “displays ranging from the elegant aeronautic designs
of two unknown bike mechanics—Orville and Wilbur Wright—to an actual Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird that can fly at speeds of over 2,000 miles per hour. The centerpiece of these aeronautic breakthroughs is the original Spruce Goose. Built entirely of wood due to wartime restrictions on metals, this massive airplane stands as a symbol of American industry during World War II” (http://www.evergreenmuseum.org/the-museum/aircraft-exhibits/).

Between tours, we’ll have time to enjoy lunch at one of two onsite cafés: The Aviation Museum Liberty Belle Café and Space Museum Cosmo Café.

Registration is required by Wednesday, February 20. Call the OLLI-UO office at 800-824-2714 to reserve your space. Cost: $19.00, lunch not included. We’ll meet at the museum: 500 NE Captain Michael King Smith Way, McMinnville, OR 97128.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
of the University of Oregon in Portland

70 NW Couch Street Portland, OR 97209
Thursday, February 14,
9:00 a.m.–noon

Join fellow painters and learn how to refine your brushstrokes. Artist Joan Hoffmann will demonstrate a variety of techniques. This class incorporates Eastern Sumi brush techniques and Western classical brush styles.

Beginners or experienced painters will enjoy making quick studies and one longer finished painting. Bring the medium you like: watercolors, acrylics, oils or mixable (waterbase) oils. Work with your own paints and brushes or work from the optional supply list (provided upon request). Celebrate spring and meet new painters!

The cost for this three-hour workshop is $40.00. Reserve your space today and register by calling the OLLI-UO office at 800-824-2714.

History of American Landscape Painting
Wednesday, February 13, 1:00–3:00 p.m. 

This workshop will follow Hoffmann’s presentation on Wednesday, February 13, History of American Landscape Painting. Hoffmann will discuss the history of American landscape painting and show images of her oils and watercolors of mountains in the American West. Join the discussion of our rich and exciting art history, including Oregon’s Artist, Eliza Barchus, recognized by the State Legislature in the 1960s. She painted the iconic landscapes of Mt. Hood, Yellowstone, Muir Glacier, and more. She, Alfred Bierstadt, and other painters explored and documented the West. Our national parks and landscape painters have a long and entwined history and continue to connect people, parks, and sense of place. The presentation, History of American Landscape Painting, is free to OLLI-UO members.

 About the Artist

Joan Hoffmann paints landscapes of the American West. Her oil and watercolor impressions evoke a poetic sense of place. She teaches, paints, and works to preserve the wild places that she explores. She lectures on American landscape painters, national parks, and public lands. Galleries representing her work include: Portico Gallery in Santa Barbara, The White Hart Gallery, Steamboat Springs, CO, Cow Canyon Trading Post, Bluff, UT, and Burlington City Arts, Burlington, VT.

To register for the painting workshop, call the OLLI-UO in Portland
office at 800-824-2714. 

  503-412-3653 • 800-824-2714 • osher.uoregon.edu

Fridays, November 2–16,
10:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Hallmark cards, while very nice, lack a certain personalization. In this hands-on workshop, get artistic with your greeting cards and add that special touch that really shows family and friends you care. In this three-session class, Isabel Villar will guide you, from start to finish, through the steps of making a print cut that can be easily replicated. This greeting card workshop will definitely flex your creative muscle—and just in time for the upcoming holidays!

We’re asking members to register for this workshop by Wednesday, October 31.

To register, call the OLLI-UO in Portland office at 503-412-3653. Materials fee: $5.00 (for all three sessions).

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
at the University of Oregon in Portland 

70 NW Couch Street
Portland, OR

Thursday, November 1
1:00–3:00 p.m.

Nobody finds more fun and inspiration in dogs, cows, cats, kids, religion, weird and quirky people, and just plain life in general than Leigh Rubin. His witty humor shines through in his comic panel, Rubes, where the animals take on human attitudes and the people behave, well, um, oddly. Sometimes silly, sometimes irreverent but always hilarious, Rubes is standard fare in newspapers around the globe, 365 days a year.

In his humorous presentations “sit-down comedian” Leigh emphasizes the rewards of persistence and the fun of problem-solving while celebrating the joy of creativity. Leigh’s fast-paced and fun-filled presentations often inspire those attending to add a little creativity to their own lives—he tries to inspire people to break their normal routine and think outside of the box, though he himself has to draw inside a box.

Leigh Rubin began his cartooning career in 1978 by establishing his own greeting card company, Rubes Publications. His first cartoon collection, the popular Notable Quotes musical cartoons, was published in 1981. In 2009 Leigh celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of Rubes^® with the publication of The Wild and Twisted World of Rubes, a “best of” collection which contains 240 of his personal favorites. Originally self-syndicated, Rubes is now distributed by Creators Syndicate to more than 400 newspapers worldwide. Leigh also enjoys a busy schedule giving thought-provoking and entertaining cartoon presentations at conferences and professional organizations all around the country. See www.rubescartoons.com.

This event is free and open to the public.

About OLLI-UO 

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is a noncredit, academic program at the University of Oregon in Portland. Geared toward mature adults, OLLI-UO strives to create an atmosphere centered around the joy of learning without the stress of tests, grades, or admission requirements. College degrees or previous affiliation with the University of Oregon are not required for membership or participation.

800-824-2714 • 503-412-3653

 osher.uoregon.edu

Visit the online weekly reminder for Portland to see what’s happening the week of October 1–5.

Reminders are updated every Friday.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute of the University of Oregon in Portland

Tuesday, September 18, 1:30 p.m.

Location: Elsie Stuhr Center of the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District, 5550 SW Hall Blvd, Beaverton (Near the Beaverton Library.)

Naturalist Jim Anderson will explore the mysterious world of bees at a public presentation, Bees 101, on Tuesday, September 18, at 1:30 p.m. Hosted by the University of Oregon in Portland Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI-UO), this free presentation is open to mature adults interested in noncredit lifelong learning opportunities.

Bee pollination is responsible for $15 billion in added crop value, particularly for specialty crops such as almonds and other nuts, berries, fruits and vegetables (Oregon crops). About one mouthful in three in our diet directly or indirectly benefits from honeybee pollination. In California, the almond crop alone uses 1.3 million colonies of bees, about half of all honeybees in the United States.

Beginning in 2006, some beekeepers began losing 30% to 90% of their hives from a currently unrecognizable cause. While there is still honey in the hive, a low number of adult bees are present with a live queen, and there are no dead honeybees in the hive; it has been termed, “Colony Collapse Disorder.” Find out more in this informed, lively discussion of Apis mellifera.

Anderson, one of Oregon’s most celebrated naturalists, has a compelling and extensive history as a writer and teacher. Active in conservation efforts, he has appeared many times in the “Oregon Field Guide” programs and has worked for the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. His book, Tales from a Northwest Naturalist, describes life as an active, engaged observer of wildlife.

About OLLI-UO 

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is a noncredit, academic program at the University of Oregon in Portland. Geared toward mature adults, OLLI-UO strives to create an atmosphere centered around the joy of learning without the stress of tests, grades, or admission requirements. College degrees or previous affiliation with the University of Oregon are not required for membership or participation.

 800-824-2714 • 503-412-3653 • osher.uoregon.edu

Visit the online weekly reminder for Portland to see what’s happening the week of August 13–17.