Please note that the PayPal/Add to Cart button will be removed two business days before the first class of a seminar. This allows for an accurate count and time to forward any class information to the registrants. Please plan to register before then to be sure to receive any information from the Presenter or VISTAS office.
Two Mondays: January 8 and 15
9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
Presented by Stan Roden
Would you like to see local government operate more efficiently or be more transparent and accountable? If so, you may wish to take this in-depth course about the Santa Barbara “Civil” Grand Jury system. As an arm of the Superior Court, the Grand Jury has the legal authority and duty to analyze and report on the operations of county and local government agencies. The Grand Jury chooses problems to investigate. If a super-majority (12/19 jurors) agrees, it conducts secret, confidential investigations into suspected government malfeasance or mismanagement. It may request the court to issue subpoenas. If warranted, the jury may issue meticulous public reports that include findings and recommendations, often leading to media coverage, public discussion, and improved local governance.
Tuesday: January 9
1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden 1212 Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara
Presented by Steve Windhager
Join us for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Pritzlaff Conservation Center at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden to learn about the genetic analysis, botanical research, rare plant conservation, and ecological restoration work being done by the Garden both locally and around the state. The tour will include the genetics and botany labs, the rare plant seed bank, and the herbarium. For a nominal additional charge, participants may sign up to enjoy wine and other refreshments following the tour at the Ann Jackson Family Foundation Island View Deck. (See the course flyer for further details.) Should this event sell out, we plan to offer it again in early 2024.
Two Tuesdays, January 23 and 30, and one Wednesday, February 7
9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Music Academy 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara
Presented by Simon Williams
There is one theme in opera that has been treated more frequently than any other, and that is Romantic love. Indeed, there are few operas that do not feature Romantic love as a principal concern. Perhaps one of the major reasons for this is the suitability of operatic music to explore all aspects of this emotional experience, which is central to human life. The first talk will center on Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and Verdi’s La Traviata, two of the classic tragedies of the Romantic age; the second will explore contrasting concepts of love in Wagner’s Die Walküre and Tristan und Isolde; the final talk will center on two major operas of the fin de siècle, Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila and Zandonai’s Francesca da Rimini. All talks will include video extracts and should be of interest to those who are new to opera as well as seasoned operagoers.
Two Thursdays: January 25 and February 1
9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
Presented by Jim Hemmer
This course approaches history from a rather unusual perspective—that of a single family, the Hapsburgs, whose dynasty lasted 1,000 years (1020 to 1918). How did they do it? Genealogical endurance, for one thing: generation after generation they produced male heirs. They were fortunate too in their political alliances, but even more so in their marital alliances. They had enormous dynastic success in their arranged child marriages, as celebrated in the famous 17th century saying, “Let others wage war, you happy Austria, marry.” But there was a downside to this focus on arranged marriages: inbreeding. Consanguinity brought misshapenness as well mental and physical incapacity. The Hapsburgs believed that they were the principal defenders of the Catholic faith, which, during the Reformation, led to religious wars and persecutions.
One Wednesday: January 31, 2024
9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
*Enrollment limited to 16
The Hermitage offers an outstanding collection of original sculptures, inspired whimsy, and humor. Works of art are on display in both outdoor and indoor settings, as the museum opens into a subtropical garden with trails winding through the hillside. Visitors come to appreciate art in new ways—with fresh insights into the unfamiliar, the provocative, and the unexpected. The collection includes more than 260 bronze busts: 43 presidents, 126 authors, 72 composers, and 22 others. Many of the sculptures, including life-sized bronzes, are mounted outdoors in a unique setting with thousands of remarkable subtropical plants, including rare and exotic flowering trees. You will find many surprises there!
Important information about the field trip: The museum and 10-acre property rest on hilly terrain with steps and paths on two adjacent properties. The guided tour will walk about 1.5 miles and climb the equivalent of seven floors with some uneven terrain. There are minimal railings and no benches along the route. Tours last 2 hours.
This event is now sold out. Please email vistas@vistaslifelonglearning.org to be placed on the waitlist.
One Monday: February 5
9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
Presented by Daniel DeSelm
Historians commonly pinpoint the apogee of Roman power and grandeur to the period of the so-called “Five Good Emperors,” whose reigns stretched consecutively from 96 to 180 CE. These emperors—Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius—presided over an empire at the summit of its size and strength, but also one on the precipice of decline. So what was so “good” about these emperors? Why did they succeed? As the poster-boys of effective Roman governance, the Five Good Emperors show how the fate of empires can balance on a knife-edge of unpredictable factors. Their far-reaching administrative reforms and military escapades were impressive, but also set in motion changes that would shatter the empire within a few decades.
Four Tuesdays: February 13, 20, 27, and March 5
9:30 a.m. – 12 noon and movie session, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Music Academy 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara
Presented by David Bisno
With the Middle East in utter turmoil, during four intensive weeks we’re going to ask important questions here in S.B. We won’t settle the problems, but we’ll better understand the competing claims, appreciate the region’s history, and realize why a solution is so difficult. We’ll ask, What does the Bible have to do with it, anyway? Whose land has it been, anyway? Why can’t these people just get along, anyway? Can an “apartheid” government be democratic? Presentations will be accompanied by colorful historical slides. You will be given an outline for each class to allow easy following. Each afternoon, following lunch, we will view a riveting movie— the subject matter and narrative balanced between Palestinian and Jewish points of view. For one of the sessions, it is hoped that we will be joined by a highly educated Palestinian guest speaker. Take a deep breath. We’re all going to learn a lot. Discussion is expected to be relevant and lively.
This course is now sold out. Please email vistas@vistaslifelonglearning.org to be placed on the waitlist.
Three Weds.: Feb. 21, 28, Mar. 6
9:30 a.m.–12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
Presented by Karl Hutterer, Charles Feinstein, Stan Roden
This three-part course will begin with Karl Hutterer presenting “Taking the Temperature.” Topics addressed will include good news (growth in renewables, adoption of green technologies, shifting public opinion) and harmful (relentlessly rising emissions and worsening climate change impacts). Karl will discuss current data from the climate front and the human, social, economic, and security effects of ongoing climate change. Next, Charles Feinstein will cover “Policies, Politics, and the Economy.” We’ll consider political and economic forces influencing climate policies and regulatory solutions, such as subsidies for green energy technologies, emissions trading, and carbon taxes. Last, Stan Roden will present “Strategy Choices in Limiting Global Warming.” Stan will facilitate an interactive exploration of EnRoads. This climate change simulation tool incorporates the best available science and offers profound insights into the factors affecting greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. He is one of nearly 700 certified EnRoads Climate Ambassadors from 133 countries. All presentations will focus on current and pending U.S. legislation, including the Inflation Reduction Act, and citizen actions, including the work of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
Two Thursdays: February 29 and March 7
1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Valle Verde Theater 900 Calle De Los Amigos, Santa Barbara
Presented by Darroch Greer
Over twelve years, Darroch Greer wrote, directed, and produced two feature documentaries on WWI aviation. In these two sessions he will discuss the making of, and then screen, these important films. The Lafayette Escadrille is about a diverse group of American volunteers who joined the French Foreign Legion as the war started, then formed an all-American squadron flying for France until the end of the war. The Lafayette Escadrille became the founding squadron of US combat aviation. The Millionaires’ Unit is about a group of Yale friends who formed an aero club, the First Yale Unit, which became the founding squadron of the US Naval Air Reserve. The families of these men preserved photos, letters, diaries, and military records that played a crucial role in the ability to bring these stories to life.
One Monday: March 4
9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara.
Presented by Phil McKenna
The Gaviota Coast is the largest intact example of our Southern California Mediterranean coastal environment. Its 200,000 acres span 73 miles of coastline and 43 watersheds. Internationally recognized as a “biological hotspot” for its diversity of plants and animals, it is a mosaic of landscapes—and it harbors many little-known stories: an epic development scheme stretching across 140 years; the largest ranch in Santa Barbara County preserved for restoration and scientific study; a coffee plantation in the foothills; a ranch encompassing an entire watershed being restored through regenerative agriculture. This course will be richly illustrated to display the character, beauty, and conservation challenges facing the Coast at the end of Southern California.
Three Mondays: Mar.11, 18, 25
9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
Presented by: Laurie Guitteau, Ted Anagnoson, Jane and David DeSelm, and Sue Mellor
Our 2024 Heroes & Rogues course will introduce us to three more interesting people who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields. The first talk (on March 11), presented by Gerry Corrigan, will be about Mungo Park, the doctor from Scotland who explored West Africa and was the first European to reach the Niger River. His success helped sow the seeds leading to the “Scramble for Africa” in 1884–85. On March 18, Laurie Guitteau will introduce you to Josephine Baker, a most complicated personality. She was born into abject poverty, seduced Paris in the early 1920s with her brazen sexuality, became one of the richest entertainers in the world, played an important role in the French Resistance during WWII, created a Rain- bow Tribe, and died a pauper. Sex, intrigue, betrayals — a sordid and fascinating story. The third presentation will be by Ted Anagnoson on March 25, when the subject is J. Edgar Hoover, the director of the FBI for almost 50 years. Hoover streamlined the FBI into an effective crime-fighting body, but it came at a huge cost, where the agency embodied the excesses of the Cold War and where Hoover used his power to harass and intimidate personal enemies. We will look at both sides of this autocrat in this presentation.
Four Mondays: April 1, 8, 15, and 22
1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
Presented by Norm Cohen
In the 1950s, a new musical genre came to dominate the American pop music scene. Although it had its origins in a variety of musical traditions—ballads and folk songs, blues, spirituals, gospel—its most important role initially was providing music to further the causes of labor unions, political campaigns, and protest movements. As the years passed and the music gained a more prominent position in pop music, it shed the politics and protest roles and gradually came to be dominated by “singer/songwriters”— musicians who focused more on personal themes. This class will explore the rise of this “folk music revival,” its roots, characteristics, and impact on American music of the succeeding decades. We’ll listen to recordings by dozens of iconic musicians.
Three Wednesdays: April 3, 10, and 17
9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Music Academy1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara
Presented by Derek Katz
Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert lived in the same city, but interacted with very different elements of Viennese society. This seminar will use the genre of the string quartet to explore the effects of patronage and of interactions with professional performers on Beethoven’s and Schubert’s compositional choices. While Beethoven had the luxury of hearing his quartets rehearsed by professional players employed by local aristocrats, most of Schubert’s quartets were written for his family members and other amateurs. In particular, we will feature the violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh, who was the first to play almost all of Beethoven’s violin parts, and who instituted the first series of public chamber music concerts in Vienna, which inspired Schubert to compose his ambitious late quartets, intended to stand beside those of Beethoven.
One Thursday: April 4
9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
Presented by Rich Appelbaum and Denis Simon
In this class we take a deep dive into the complex landscape of China’s rise as a technological and economic powerhouse, exploring its ramifications for US–China relations, especially in light of the meeting between President Xi and President Biden in November 2023. The spotlight will be on the “Chinese model”—state-led capitalism combining multi-year government plans with targeted public investment and dynamic private enterprise. For two decades this strategy proved to be highly successful—but has it reached its limits? Coined terms like “Peak China” suggest that perhaps a reassessment is needed.
This course is now sold out. Please email vistas@vistaslifelonglearning.org to be placed on the waitlist.
One Wednesday: April 24
9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
Presented by Daniel Stone
We’ve all heard of the famous ocean liner that hit an iceberg and slipped beneath the waves in April of 1912. But have you heard about what happened next? About how news of this ship ricocheted around the world and led to the world’s fixation with every tragic detail? About the legal battles and government investigations? National Geographic and adventure writer Daniel Stone steers a fascinating journey of history, science, and obsession, uncovering untold stories of the Titanic and also diving deep underwater into ocean basins so littered with sunken ships that there are wrecks on top of other wrecks. And he introduces generations of eccentrics who devoted their lives (and fortunes) to finding sunken ships. Along the way, he explores dozens of other wrecks and shares colorful stories from thousands of years of human travel on the high seas.
*New date* Three Fridays: April 26, May 3 and 10
9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Music Academy 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara
Presented by Bob Weinman
The great American tradition of the Broadway musical, which was created by the works of composers like Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Rodgers & Hammerstein, led to a Golden Age that lasted from around 1950 to 1970. In each year of that era, show after show entered the great canon. This class will feature these works, and as usual, will be presented with video clips from the shows. Lerner and Loewe, Frank Loesser, Leonard Bernstein, and many others await you!
One Monday: May 6
9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
Presented by Belle Michael
Santa Barbara Museum of Art Docent Belle Michael will present this original program touching on two different aspects of art. In the first hour we will consider “Art-Body-Context” and discuss the way in which artists have used various art elements to characterize the human body in paintings and sculptures, representing or responding to cultural and historic events. The second hour of the program will be a presentation on “Women Artists in the Museum,”focusing on the life and work of women artists whose artwork is exhibited in the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, among them Della Shull, Florine Stettheimer, Mary Cassatt, Berthe Morisot, Lydia Field, Rina Banerjee, and more.
Section 1: Tuesdays (with one Friday date)*, May 7, 14, 24*, and 28, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Valle Verde Social Room, 900 Calle de los Amigos, Santa Barbara
Section 2: Thursdays, May 9, 16, 23, and 30, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Montecito Covenant Church, 671 Cold Spring Road, Santa Barbara
*Participants must be able to climb one flight of stairs; no elevator
Presented by Denny Klos
Short stories written by acclaimed authors will be the focus for group discussion. All the stories are in the genre of realism; the authors are Claire Keegan, David Quammen, Allison Grosfield, Cyrus Colter, Raymond Carver, Gail Godwin, Bernard Malamud, and Penelope Lively. Group members will receive five stories as PDF attachments to emails and three as hard copies. The same stories will be discussed in both sections; participants should enroll in either Section 1 or Section 2 but not both.
Short Story Discussion Groups are now full.
One Wednesday: May 8
1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
Presented by David Grossman
Get a sneak peek behind the curtain of your favorite television theme songs and soundtracks over the decades and then soar out of this world as we make a connection between the music we hear on TV and movies about space and the real sounds of our cosmos. Ever wonder about who chooses the composers, songwriters, musicians— or the song coming from a car radio—to add just the right touch to your viewing experience? Or why musicians on-camera sometimes look like they are out of sync? And how they make an actor with no musical experience look and sound like they are an accomplished musician? This— and more—will be revealed as we look, listen, and converse about shows like Cheers, Frasier, Star Trek, and NCIS, as well as the stories behind many of the early themes in television history.
One Monday: May 13
9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Santa Barbara Maritime Museum113 Harbor Way, Santa Barbara
Presented by Greg Gorga and Holly Lohuis
Greg Gorga has served as Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum since 2008. In this wonderfully informative presentation, he will discuss how Santa Barbara’s unique maritime history dates back to prehistoric times, to the early human populations many scientists believe were among the first to appear on the North American continent. The talk will also cover early Spanish explorers, a visiting pirate, shipwrecks and lighthouses, the largest naval disaster in U.S. history, surfing, commercial diving, and the 1969 oil spill. This history will be illustrated with vintage postcards andphotographs.
Marine biologist, educator, expedition diver (with Jean-Michel Cousteau), and local conservationist Holly Lohuis played a pivotal role in the recent designation of the Santa Barbara Channel as the world’s ninth Whale Heritage Area. In this presentation, she will discuss the diverse cetacean (whale, dolphin, and porpoise) populations in our area. From the largest animals ever to exist on our planet, blue whales, to a population of over 25,000 resident common dolphins, we are fortunate to have such diversity and abundance of these charismatic animals in our own “front yard,” the Santa Barbara Channel. See https://www.sbwhaleheritage.org/
This course is now sold out. Please email vistas@vistaslifelonglearning.org to be placed on the waitlist.
*New date* One Tuesday, May 14
1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Granada Theatre 1214 State Street, Santa Barbara
*Enrollment limited to 50
Presented by Susan Miles Gulbransen and Joan Rutkowski
Join Susan Gulbransen and Joan Rutkowski on the stage of the Granada while they present the history of Santa Barbara’s iconic Granada Theatre from the 1920s to the present. These two dynamic, civic-minded entrepreneurs will tell us of their long road to getting the Granada transformed into the incredible performing arts venue and community resource that it is today. After the talk we’ll enjoy a rare tour of the theatre, including the dressing rooms and downstairs (which may include stair-climbing).
This course is now sold out. Please email vistas@vistaslifelonglearning.org to be placed on the waitlist.
Two Wednesdays: May 15 and 22
9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
Presented by Josie Gonzalez
This course will discuss the historical roots of U.S. immigration—from open borders to federal control. How has major legislation influenced today’s immigration laws and policies? What was the impact of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which legalized millions of undocumented workers and imposed criminal and civil sanctions against employers who knowingly hired undocumented workers? Did this legislation succeed at curtailing illegal immigration? What are the diverse ways immigrants gain permanent (“green card”) and temporary status? How do other countries, like Canada, decide which people can be admitted?
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