Maine Senior College Network news & updates | |
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Welcome to the December newsletter
Season's greetings and congratulations to the senior colleges for navigating their way through the ups and downs of Covid in 2022!
Thank you to all the volunteers, instructors, and fantastic board members for making senior colleges possible!
This month's newsletter lists some end-of-December events, plus a few new and exciting Winter courses coming up soon!
Happy Holidays and best wishes to you all!
Anne Cardale
Program Director
Maine Senior College Network
Wikimedia Image:
Songs of Winter, No. 3
Marsden Hartley
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South Coast SC class:
Legacy Letter
"A Legacy Letter is a message to family or friends."
Instructor Jerry Nulton
Six classes. Starts January 5th
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Legacy Letter
A Legacy Letter is a message to family or friends.
There’s no formula. It can be any of the following:
• An expression of gratitude, a compliment, or encouragement
• A wish for their future
• One or more life lesson(s) you’d like to share
• A request for forgiveness or an attempt to make amends
• A tradition you’d like to pass along
• An important memory that means a great deal to you
• To offer comfort and perspective
Message from South Coast SC Class Instructor Jerry Nulton
I’ve lived a charmed life. I was taught by my mother to value education and was taught by my father that hard work was the best path to success. I earned a double major from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania; the first is a degree in Philosophy which I loved, and the second is a degree in Computer Science which I used to earn a living. I’ve worked in sales, marketing, and training for most of the past 30 years. I have trained Partners in the accounting firm of Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) in sales in the UK, Ireland, and the US for the past 20 years and am currently helping them negotiate their agreements with their clients. I’m happily married to my lovely wife of 33 years; I’ve been a resident of Maine for the past 22, and I’m an avid sailor with a J-28 sailboat in Falmouth.
So, how did I get into legacy letters? Though we don’t have children, my wife and I have been saving money for our grand-niece and grand-nephews. But I realized that giving them money without wisdom is like giving a loaded gun to a toddler. So I looked for a way to put the money into a framework that would help them understand me better and hopefully give them a path to a better life. That’s how I found legacy letters. I can’t possibly hope to match the life experience that any potential participants would have, so I’m hopeful that I can learn from you while I share a tool you can use to influence the lives of your family and friends.
I anticipate six sessions. The first to put Legacy Letters into context and to lay out the first assignment. The following five sessions would each start by reviewing the letters the participants composed after the prior session, followed by exploring a new type of letter and how it might be used. In the end, you’ll have a minimum of five letters that you use (or not) as you see fit. In any case, by the end, I’ll certainly be wiser than I am today for having listened to you, and I suspect you’ll have had some fun and, in the end, I’m hoping you’ll have developed a number of gifts that you can use to improve the lives of those you love.
January 5, 12, 19, 26.
February 2, 9.
Time 10-11:30 pm
Course Fee: $27
REGISTRATION LINK FOR "LEGACY LETTER" CLASS:
Questions? Please contact South Coast Senior College by email:
View the South Coast SC online course catalog to see more offerings.
South Coast Senior College website
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Penobscot Valley Senior College:
One-Day Presentations
December 2022, and January 2023
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Penobscot Valley's One-Day Presentations (ODP) are offered on Tuesdays via Zoom from 4:00-5:00 PM.
All presentations are recorded, emailed to registered participants, and available to view for two weeks after the presentation.
One-Day Presentations:
Tuesday, December 13, 2022
"Cryptocurrency Scams/Outsmart the Scammers"
Presented by John Byrne, AAMS of Edward Jones
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Tuesday, January 3, 2023
"PFAS in Maine"
Presented by Dr. Andrew E. Smith, Sc.M., Sc.D. Maine State Toxicologist
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Tuesday, January 10, 2023
"Realities in Wonderland: Antarctica 2022"
Presented by Katie Greenman, formerly a local Children's Librarian and Educator Greenman, formerly with commercial and public television, now with Librivox.
Tuesday, January 17, 2023
"Where have all the Birdies gone?"
Presented by Barbara Snapp, Ph. D. Biology, Cornell University
Registration
MSCN sister college members
Members of other senior colleges should email Sheila and leave their name and contact information, including mailing address, email address, phone number, and the name of their college. PVSC Membership fees will be adjusted.
PVSC Members
If you have a PVSC membership, you may register online or email or call 207-659-1359.
Zoom links for each event will be emailed two days prior and on the day of each presentation.
Penobscot Valley Senior College website
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Winter Landscape by Hans Bol -
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OLLI at USM
OLLI December Popups!
Free to attend, but you must register.
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Coffee Klatch
Saturday, December 10, 9:00 a.m.
with Star Pelsue
Bring your favorite beverage and let’s chat.
Location: Zoom
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Podcast chats - The Simple Economics of Saving the Amazon Rain Forest
Wednesday, December 14, 7:00 p.m.
with Star Pelsue
Everyone agrees that massive deforestation is an environmental disaster. But most of the standard solutions — scolding the Brazilians, invoking universal morality — ignore the one solution that might actually work.
Location: Zoom
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Pictionary Game "Night" (Online)
Thursday, December 15, 3:30 p.m. &
Thursday, December 29, 3:30 p.m.
with Star Pelsue
Are you the Picasso of stick figures? Maybe your bear looks more like a mouse. You don't need to be an artist to play this drawing game. Be prepared to laugh and enjoy yourself for the hour. This game not only entertains but it also teaches you to use the Zoom Whiteboard feature.
Location: Zoom
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Boston
Thursday, December 15, 7:00 p.m.
with Elizabeth Housewright and Connie Hughes
Did you live or work in the Boston area? Let’s talk about what you loved while living/visiting there. Where did you hang out, what's still there, and what activities/businesses would you plan to visit/revisit on your next trip.
Location: Zoom
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Virtual Book Exchange (Online)
Wednesday, December 28, 7:00 p.m. with Anne Cass
Bibliophile? Looking for the next book to read? Join in and share a title or two. Leave with the title of the next book to add to the stack!
Location: Zoom
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Midcoast Senior College presents
Winter Wisdom 2023
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MIDCOAST SENIOR COLLEGE PRESENTS
WINTER WISDOM 2023
Wednesdays from 12:00—1:30 p.m.
Curtis Memorial Library and Unitarian Universalist Church, Brunswick
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
All events are in-person.
Winter Wisdom is sponsored by The Highlands in Topsham, Maine
January 4: Bravi Tutti—A Career with the Metropolitan Opera
Ross Crolius will present a talk about his 25-year career with the Metropolitan Opera, the largest perform- ing and most prestigious arts organization in the country. He will provide background information about the Met Opera and sing an aria or two.
Unitarian Universalist Church, Brunswick
January 11: The Transforming Maine Economy
A new economic model is emerging in Maine—new initiatives are gradually but inexorably reshaping Maine’s economy.
John Dorrer will highlight the significant developments that are the Maine economy of our future.
Morrell Meeting Room, Curtis Library, Brunswick
January 18: The Wondrous Winter Skies of Midcoast Maine
An introduction to the stars, constellations, planets, asteroids, nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies that don’t need a telescope to be observed.
Russ Pinizzotto explains how to use the Big Dipper and the Great Winter Hexagon to navigate this magical tour of the heavens.
Morrell Meeting Room, Curtis Library, Brunswick
January 25: Bygone Songs of Maine
Julia Lane and Fred Gosbee of folk duo Castlebay and authors of Bygone Ballads of Maine Vol 1 - Songs of Ships & Sailors, folk songs from collections gathered from Maine’s international archives, museums and libraries, will present their findings with musical examples, exploring Maine’s social history through music.
Morrell Meeting Room, Curtis Library, Brunswick
February 1: The History and People of Maine’s Malaga Island
Kate McBrien provides an illustrated examination of the history of the community who lived on Malaga Island, off the coast of Phippsburg in the late 1800s. The program focuses on members of the community and the state’s actions to evict them through the complex history of racism and eugenics in Maine. Morrell Meeting Room, Curtis Library, Brunswick
February 8: Ice Harvesting on the Kennebec River
This illustrated lecture by Maine Maritime Museum’s Executive Director Christopher Timm will explore the harvesting and export of natural ice—an industry that was a staple of Maine’s (once) frigid winters.
Morrell Meeting Room, Curtis Library, Brunswick
February 15: Longfellow Days—Poetry and Travel: Longfellow in Europe
As a Professor of Modern Languages, poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow traveled in Europe, experiences that informed his poetry and poems he translated.
Gary Lawless European travels also enhanced his understanding of poetry as well as his own poems. He will speak about Longfellow, poetry, and the value of travel in strengthening the creative arts.
Morrell Meeting Room, Curtis Library, Brunswick
February 22: Snow makeup day
For more information, go to Midcoast SC Winter Wisdom
Midcoast Senior College
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The Webb Telescope is a marvel and is bringing us pictures of our universe that we could have never dreamt of when we were young. Join Bob Gallon as he tells us more about the project and shows us some amazing pictures, maybe even pictures of the first stars after the Big Bang.
The Zoom presentation begins at noon. If you register for the online talk, you will receive the link the day before. There is no charge for the Zoom presentation.
Note: This January Food for Thought presentation will be held in person at Birch Bay Village in Hulls Cove. Luncheon can be purchased for those who are attending in person.
Bob Gallon is a clinical and forensic psychologist who is also an amateur astronomer and musician. He was the tuba player for The Bangor Symphony Orchestra for 35 years. Bob has taught many courses for Acadia Senior College over the years, including many on music.
Registration
Click to register for this event, or email Acadia Senior College
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Tarantula Nebula by James Webb Space Telescope
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Presence: The Photography Collection of Judith Glickman Lauder
Essays by Mark Bessire, Anjuli Lebowitz , Judith Glickman Lauder & Adam D. Weinberg
Published by Aperture and Portland Museum of Art (2022)
Pages 227 Price $50.00
Reviewed by Pat Davidson Reef
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"Presence: The Photography Collection of Judith Glickman Lauder" is a monumental and beautifully designed book that preserves an outstanding exhibit at the Portland Museum of Art. It brings into your home the artistic collection of works selected by Judith Glickman Lauder, art photographer, and philanthropist. Her generous gift of 700 photographs to the Portland Museum of Art makes the PMA one of the most important photographic archives in the state.
The book accompanying the exhibit has a hard cover with an elegant fabric overlay and a photograph by Norman Seeff. The book is a work of art featuring the current PMA exhibit of 150 works from the Glickman Lauder Collection. The exhibit comes down on January 15, 2023, and is well worth a trip into the PMA to see. The book is a collector's item and a lasting record of the exhibition and provides a way to see the exhibit from a distance for those who cannot get into the museum.
Glickman Lauder is known for her photographs of Holocaust sites in a book titled "Beyond the Shadows: The Holocaust and the Danish Exception." Some of her Holocaust photographs are in the exhibit, but the focus of this exhibition is not on her work. The majority of the images represent her collection of famous artistic photographers from all over the world. Topics include social justice, nature, landscapes, the human body, city violence, poverty, people fighting for freedom, famous portraits, joy, and humor. Most of the photographs are in black and white and were collected over five decades. They speak for themselves in a special language without words.
Works collected by Glickman Lauder include photographs by Dorothea Lange, Gordon Parks, Danny Lyon, Todd Webb, Henri Cartier Bresson, Yousuf Karsh, Edward Weston, Alfred Stieglitz, Berenice Abbott, Richard Avedon, Norman Seeff, Sebastiao Salgado, James Van Der Zee, Melonie Bennett, and Robert Capa to name only a few.
In the early part of the 19th century, there was a question of whether photography was an art form. It took two centuries, but photography has finally gained enormous respect. This exhibit undoubtedly establishes that photography is a major art form and belongs in museums worldwide.
Photography involves talent, creative insight, and expertise in the use of cameras and lenses, understanding light and shade, sharp tonal contrasts, and repeated surface patterns, plus when to use hard or soft edge lines, perspective or even superimposed images, and most of all the ability to capture spontaneity.
These are some of the important elements that define photography as an art form and can be seen in the Glickman Lauder collection.
A favorite black and white photograph in the exhibit is by Dorothea Lange, titled "Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California." This powerful black-and-white portrait of a destitute woman with a baby is timeless. It was taken in 1936, and it could have been taken today on the borders of Texas.
Another outstanding photograph in both the book and exhibit is Richard Avedon's portrait of Ezra Pound. It shows without words the complex humanity of this man with the wrinkles on his face and the expression seen in his eyes.
Another beautiful work is Edward Weston's black and white photograph, "Charis," created in 1936. It is a timeless nude in a position that forms a pyramid in a geometric pattern, modern, elegant, and sensual.
Glickman Lauder said in her essay in the book, "Not many people can say they have been immersed in photography for over eighty years. My photographic journey started before I could walk when my father propped me up in front of his huge Graflex camera, positioning me where the light was just right."
She continued, "My father, Irving Bennett Ellis, was a doctor by profession but a photographer by vocation." Remembering her father is an integral part of her life. It is why she became an art photographer and a major photography collector over the years. Glickman Lauder's mother was also an artist, creating beautiful floral designs and clothes for herself and others. Both parents taught her to love visual beauty.
Many photographs in her collection focus on beauty both in nature and in the human form. Other works focus on social justice issues and the struggle to survive a difficult environment or political upheavals. All her photographs reveal different aspects of humanity and our struggle to survive in different ways. Even portraits of "Winston Churchill," "Isak Denison," "Picasso and mistress, Francoise Gilot," "Audrey Hepburn, and Art Buchwald" reveal worlds remembered where photographs captured not only character but a period of time.
Glickman Lauder said, "This book and the exhibition that accompanies it reflects my journey in photography and life where photography played an important part just about every day."
In conclusion, this book is important because it is the lasting record of a remarkable exhibit around an outstanding collection of photographs. It is a collection selected by a woman whose taste, extraordinary grace, and leadership in the field of photography, both as an artist and as a philanthropist, are reflected in each selection in the exhibit. This book belongs in the home of everyone who loves visual beauty and understands the power and impact of photography as a significant art form.
For those interested in seeing the exhibit at the PMA, it comes down on January. 15, 2023. The museum is open free of charge from 4:00 to 8:00 on Fridays. For more information, call 207- 775 -6148.
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