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But Is It Art? Understanding Contemporary Art
IN PROGRESS. REGISTRATION CLOSED. Wednesdays, June 11, 18, and 25; 6:30 - 8 PM
Presented by Patricia Briggs, Assistant Professor of liberal arts at Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

Many of the major artistic movements of the late twentieth century rejected naturalism and traditional definitions of beauty and instead develop a visual language of pure abstraction or of conceptualism. Focusing on works on view in the collection of the Walker Art Center, this course introduces students to the visual language and concerns of contemporary artists. The final session of this class (6/25) will meet at the Walker Art Center to tour of a selection of contemporary art.
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Summer of '73: The Year that Changed Baseball Forever  --  Click Here to Register!
Thursday, June 26; 7 PM
Presented by John Rosengren, author of six books, including his most recent Hammerin' Hank, George Almighty and the Say Hey Kid: The Year that Changed Baseball Forever. His work has appeared in more than 100 publications, ranging from Sports Illustrated to Reader's Digest.

In 1973 the U.S. pulled out of Vietnam, the Watergate hearings transfixed a record television audience, and the national pastime underwent an extreme makeover. From the introduction of the designated hitter to Hank Aaron's pursuit of Babe Ruth’s homerun record, from George Steinbrenner's purchase of the Yankees to Reggie Jackson's first World Series, 1973 ushered in baseball's modern era, the predecessor to today's steroid era. Come relive 1973 in this illustrated lecture and explore the issues and the players that left an indelible imprint on the game.
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The Minnesota and Minneapolis 150
This summer marks 150th anniversary of Minnesota becoming the 32nd state in the Union and the City of Minneapolis holding its first town council meeting. Celebrate the history and culture of our community by exploring the history of two unique topics that locals hold dear: music making and beer brewing.  Sign-up for both or just one.

150 Years of Music Making by the River  --  Click Here to Register!
Thursday, July 24; 7 – 8:30 PM
Presented by Chris Osgood. Osgood is the former in-house producer at Minneapolis' Twin/Tone Records, guitarist with the Minnesota Punk Rock band The Suicide Commandos and is Vice President of Organizational Development at McNally Smith College of Music.

Music has no doubt existed in Minnesota for as long as the area has been populated. Focusing on the the creative explosion in Minnesota's music scene during the 1960s to present, Osgood (considered by many to be the godfather of Minneapolis music scene) will walk us on a musical history lesson of Minneapolis and the state. From the influences of the European immigrants and Native Americans on modern folk music to Bob Dylan's first electric concert to Prince, Husker Du, and Babes in Toyland, this lecture will explore the many pivotal musicians and movements in Minnesota’s music history. Explore what has made Minnesota such a vibrant music community and the impact local musicans have had on American culture.

150 Years of Beer Brewing by the River  --  Click Here to Register!
Thursday, July 31; 7 – 8:30 PM
Presented by Doug Hoverson, associate editor of American Breweriana Journal, a certified beer judge, and the author of Land of Amber Waters: The History of Brewing in Minnesota.

For centuries, brewmasters both professional and homegrown have pursued the perfect pour—a delectable combination of barley, yeast, water, and hops—and few states can claim as devoted a relationship to beer as Minnesota. Starting with its first brewery in 1849, Hoverson will tell the story of the state’s beer industry from the small-town breweries that gave way to larger companies with regional and national prominence (including Hamm’s, Grain Belt, and Schell’s) to the vibrant beer culture of today, led by a new wave of breweries such as Summit, Lake Superior Brewing Co., and Surly. An optional beer tasting and book signing will be held after the lecture with a $5 tasting fee to be paid at the door.
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Your Television Will Be Colorized: Black TV Comics’ Riffs on Race  --  Click Here to Register!
Wednesdays, August 6, 13, & 20; 6:30 – 8 PM
Presented by Dr. Walt R. Jacobs, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota’s African American & African Studies Department and author of three books, including Lower Frequencies: Students and Media Literacy.

African American comics have a long history of using television as a stage to address the continuing significance of race in the United States. From overt commentary offered in sketch comedy shows such as In Living Color to the more subtle discourse used in a situation comedy like The Cosby Show, class participants will learn to identify and decode racial critique of American society found in TV shows that without losing the pleasure we derive from these systems. Clips from shows of the early 1970s (The Flip Wilson Show) through the mid-2000s (Chappelle's Show) will be shown and discussion will focus on developing “critical media literacy.”
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William Carlos Williams, Father of Modern American Poetry  --  Click Here to Register!
Thursday, August 14; 7 – 8:30 PM
Presented by Dr. Neil Baldwin, Distinguished Visiting Professor in the College of the Arts at Montclair State University, and best-selling author of eight books, including To All Gentleness: William Carlos Williams, The Doctor-Poet.

William Carlos Williams is celebrated in our cultural memory as the author of modern lyrics crafted in the speech of the working-class streets he knew so well; in addition to novels, short stories, essays, plays -- and the epic long poem, Paterson. He was also a devoted family doctor, delivering more than three thousand babies in the course of a forty-year career at his suburban home-office in Rutherford, New Jersey, the town where he was born in 1883, lived his entire life, and died in 1963. Join best-selling author and historian Dr. Baldwin for a lively discussion in celebration of the 125th anniversary of Williams' birth.

The People's University is made possible with funds from our presenting sponsor, Marquette Financial Companies, our members, and our community partners (College of the Arts at Montclair State University. Minneapolis College of Art and Design, University of Minnesota’s African American & African Studies Department, University of Minnesota Press, and Walker Art Center).