Fall Courses
2008 - 2009

Beyond the Frame: The Sculpture of Martin Puryear, National Gallery of Art

Please join us before this show ends on Sept. 28th! For those who do not know of his work, check out this site: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Puryear. “I value the referential quality of art. The most interesting art for me retains a flickering quality, where opposed ideas can be held in a tense coexistence.” Puryear’s sculpture comes from an acclaimed showing at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. Working primarily in wood, he has maintained an unwavering commitment to manual skill and traditional building methods. His sculptures are rich with psychological and intellectual references, examining issues of identity, culture, and history. Arrive at 12 PM to have lunch on your own or visit other areas of the museum or shops. Then we will meet in the West Building, in the East Garden Court on the main floor where the exhibit begins at 1:15 PM for introduction and housekeeping. A docent led tour (1 hour) of the exhibit in the West Building has been arranged for 1:30. Following the tour we will move to the new education studios near the Cascade Café to create our own sculpture inspired from Puryear’s provocative pieces. Both the docent tour and use of the education studio have been arranged especially for this visit and are an exception to usual National Gallery tours by private groups. Discover your own intuitive connection to these works and discuss your observations with fellow class members!

Date & Time: Saturday, September 20, 12:00 – 4:00 PM.; Hands on workshop following
Location: 1:30 at the NGA West Building, East Garden Court
Facilitators: David Evelyn and Betty Foster
Cost: $35 plus lunch

Stepping Out the Door

The Stepping Out The Door class will be a unique experience in building compassionate conversations and relationships within a multicultural, multi-faith context. Class instructors will come from both St. Mark’s and other faith communities. Class participants, coming from within and outside of St. Mark’s, will engage in relationships outside of the “safe” walls that tend to restrain all of us from being a part of the larger world. Through the class, participants will be encouraged to connect with others with compassion, humility, and “mindfulness.” The class will reinforce the efforts started at Shrine Mont and will hopefully lead to a sustained involvement with some part of the larger world, however small that may be. Because this is a “hands on” class, participants will be encouraged to have made a commitment to a relationship with another outside of her or his community.

Dates: Tuesdays, October 7 through November 11; weekend November 7 – 9 at Dupont House
Leaders: Collie Agle, Jennifer Dalzell, Woody Osborne, Guest Teachers; supervisor, Bob Ewald
Cost: $275

Beyond the Frame: Jacob Lawrence’s 60 Painting Migration Series at the Phillips Collection

This class on Jacob Lawrence at the Phillips in October will be an incredible opportunity to see Lawrence's entire Migration Series together. Jacob Lawrence's 60 painting Migration Series at the Phillips Collection captures the story of the great 20th Century migration of African Americans from the rural South. Painting in Harlem in 1942, Lawrence created powerful images to chronicle the quest for greater economic and social justice. We will see the full series re-united. In a "hands-on" session following the visit to the gallery, the class will work with art materials to reflect on the story Lawrence tells and our own stories.

Date & Time: Saturday, October 18, mid morning to mid afternoon; Hands on workshop at St. Mark's (Adams Room)
Facilitators: Margaret Brown and Kitty Donnelly
Cost: $35 plus admission and lunch

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