America the Beautiful: A History of Art in the U.S.

Let’s look together at our nation’s artistic heritage. This class is an overview of the history of painting in the U.S. from settlement to about 1950. It will also include some architecture, sculpture, photography, and poetry.

Which artists capture the history and/or the spirit of the U.S.? Are there paintings that illustrate our nation’s core values and ideals? We will explore the relationship between our culture, our history, and our art. A timeline will connect the art with key historical events and social movements. Students are encouraged to share their perspectives, analyses, and interpretations and to bring in additional examples. There will be opportunities for creative writing. By the end of the series of classes, each participant will have received 32 color copies of famous works of art to take home. There is no expectation that students will have any prior knowledge of art history.

Art historian Lynne Berry has taught classes about famous works of religious art at the Church of the Nativity and other venues since 1998. She is a frequent contributor to the WLRH Sundial Writers Corner with a series called Art on the Radio.

Please contact Lynne at lynneb4@gmail.com for instructions on how to register. Payments will be made by cash, check, Venmo, or Zelle and must be received no later than June 13, 2025.

If any classes must be cancelled by the teacher, the student will be given a pro-rated refund for that class.