This is a gathering of people who love to do art, be it painting with oils, watercolor, acrylic or pastels, or pencil drawings or any other visual medium. It is not a course with instruction, but an occasion where we each work on our own art, and sometimes we share what we know—our mistakes as well as our triumphs. We learn from each other every time we meet. All visual art mediums are welcome, such as painting (non-volatile oils or other media), collage, gelli printing, alcohol inks, mixed media, Zentangle®, etc. Our coordinator is a working artist, mostly in oil, sometimes in watercolor or pastels. Bring your own supplies, share your art and be inspired by fellow artists! Group members will help clean the area after each session. Limit 18.

Karen Golden, Facilitator
12:30—3:30 P.M. Thursday, Starts Sept. 18
United Christian Church
3500 West Parmer Lane (78727)

Historian of world cultures Thomas Berry in the 1980s called for an integration of scientific understanding of the physical universe with the humanities, arguing that an understanding of who and what we are in relation to the cosmos should guide our behavior and beliefs. This course provides a sampling of current knowledge of the cosmos, its components, history, processes, and those of our solar system, the Earth, development of life on Earth, other major Earth events, and human history. A large order! Come see why this course and its popular instructor have received rave reviews, and the highest ratings possible. Participants will consider how this knowledge should shape our behavior and beliefs, or not. We will have Power Point presentations, a movie, and discussions.
Please bring $5 to the first meeting to cover course handouts. Limit 20.

Peter Boone, PhD
1:00—3:00 P.M. Thursday, Starts Sept. 18
Abiding Love Lutheran Church, Office Bldg.
7210 Brush Country Road (78749)

Congratulations on your commitment to continue learning Spanish! For students who took the Spanish 2B course last semester this course continues building your knowledge of Spanish using the framework of Destinos (https://www.learner.org/series/destinos-an-introduction-to-spanish/unit-i/) while advancing your language skills. All registrants should have some experience with the verbs Ser and Estar, the Present tense, and the use of preterit and imperfect tenses. If you are new to the Destinos program, there are online summaries (in English) of each episode, so anyone can catch up easily. We’ll explore the vocabulary, grammar, and cultural insights introduced in each episode, and we’ll learn to use new verb tenses. It’s helpful to bring a binder to organize handouts. Please bring $4 to the first meeting for copies for the course. Limit 20.

Verónica Putney
1:00—3:00 P.M. Thursday, Starts Sept. 18
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Rm. 205
3525 Bee Caves Road (78746)

One form of the arts few older adults have tried is writing for film. But you have plenty of stories, experiences, perspectives to share. This is your chance to learn another creative outlet, guided by an experienced film maker and instructor. The first class focuses on The Power of Story, a montage of clips from films that work because of the narrative. We also discuss the expectations and process of writing during class meetings. We consider what types of stories and scenes work best on the big or little screen, versus fiction, graphic novels or audio telling. Each subsequent class meeting will focus on the “writing point of the day”—in-class writing exercises, followed by small group sharing and peer review (after learning how to critique meaningfully and helpfully). The culminating homework assignment is to write two short scripts for films of 3-8 minutes. At the end of the course, you’ll have the option of having one of your scripts produced by the instructor at his studio in Austin Public Studios of the Austin Film Society. And you’ll receive a copy of the resulting film. Our instructor is the founder of Mister Mama Bear Studios, screenwriter, director, and art director, as well as an experienced instructor and curriculum developer. You should bring a laptop computer to every class if available, but a journal to write in will suffice. Limit 18.

Sxott Rawgers
1:00—3:00 P.M. Thursday, Starts Sept. 18
South Austin Recreation Center
1100 Cumberland Road (78704)

This course is for those who have never played bridge, or for those who have played and want to review the fundamentals. This is a learn-by-doing class. You will play a lot of practice hands, each focused on learning the "Standard American" method of bidding, and on learning play-of-the-hand and defense methods most widely used by players today. Limit 20.

Jack Graham
1:00—3:00 Thursday, Starts Sept. 18
The Church at Highland Park, Burchette Room
5206 Balcones Drive (78731)

This is not a typical art appreciation course. Instead of studying different time periods or styles, we will study how different artists portrayed different subjects. Some examples are dance, lovers, mother and child, music, and work. In this class, we will discuss sixty well-known works of art, following the teachings of Dr. Richard R. Brettell, who taught that the purpose of art is to create an emotional impact in the viewer and that every viewer’s response is both unique and valid. Each class period will focus on video projections of several paintings, sculptures or photographs chosen from the instructors’ book, Art Conversations, a copy of which will be given to each class member. The instructors will describe their personal response to the artwork, followed by responses and discussions by class members. At the end of the course, you may have a broader and deeper understanding of famous works of art, and more confidence in your opinions about art. Our instructors are avid travelers, students, and appreciators of visual art. Limit 25.

John C. Huber and Doris E. Polak
1:00—3:00 P.M. Thursday, Starts Sept. 18
Triumphant Love Lutheran Church, Upper Room
9508 Great Hills Trail (78759)

If you enjoy good intellectual discussion; if you enjoy essays as well as short stories, poems, and plays, then this course is for you. The Great Books Foundation, established in 1947, promotes lifelong education through the reading and discussion of outstanding literature. Its aim is to encourage all people to participate in a “Great Conversation” with the authors of significant works in the Western canon. Last term, our class had outstanding round-table discussions every week. In this fall’s 8-week course, we’ll discuss selections from the Foundation’s book titled Great Conversations 2, which is an anthology of classic and contemporary works. Our syllabus will consist of:

• Physics and World Philosophy (Max Planck, 1936),

• The Playboy of the Western World (John Synge, 1907),

• Planning and Democracy (Friedrich Hayek, 1944),

• Distributive Justice (John Rawls, 1967),

• Guests of the Nation (Frank O’Connor, 1931),

• Which New Era Would that Be? (Nadine Gordimer, 1956),

• What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (Raymond Carver, 1981),

• One other, TBD.

This gives us 3 essays, 3 short stories, and a play. We’ll discuss one selection per week. The Great Conversations 2 book is available from The Great Books Foundation and from Amazon. Please call or text the moderator, Leonard (512-694-3669), with any questions. Limit 11.

Leonard Hough, Moderator
1:00—3:00 P.M. Thursday, Starts Sept. 18
Unity Church of Austin
5501 West US Hwy 290 Service Road (78735)

These forms have been used for centuries as gentle, soothing, enjoyable exercises to increase circulation, enhance balance and concentration, and gently tone the body for health and well-being. We will do Qigong exercises developed for optimum health, as well as T’ai Chi (Taiji) forms. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. The instructor has been practicing and teaching for 50 years. Note: One-week delayed start; course extends one week. Limit 25

Anya Rylander-Jones, PhD
1:30—3:00 P.M. Thursday, Starts Sept. 25
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Gym
3525 Bee Caves Road (78746)

This course is NOT about strange, pretzel acrobatics, but rather strengthening and stretching, with enough balance and flexibility exercises to age well and be able to do what we want to keep doing. Using yoga exercises, we strengthen and tone the body, enhance flexibility in the joints, improve balance and focus, reduce stress, and improve circulation and concentration. Please bring a mat or blanket and wear comfortable, non-binding clothes. As with any exercise program, check first with your doctor, especially if there is history of untreated high blood pressure, eye disease complications, or other health concerns. The instructor has been teaching yoga for over 50 years. Note: One-week delayed start; course extends one week. Limit 23.

Anya Rylander-Jones, PhD
3:00—4:00 P.M. Thursday, Starts Sept. 25
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Gym
3525 Bee Caves Road (78746)