Thursday Courses   

Saddle up for a journey into the world of the Spaghetti Western—the Italian reinvention of America's most iconic film genre. In this course, we'll explore how directors like Sergio Leone and Sergio Corbucci transformed the classic Western into something darker, grittier, and far more stylized. With unforgettable music by Ennio Morricone, stark landscapes, and morally ambiguous antiheroes, these films redefined what it meant to ride into the sunset. Each session will feature a screening and discussion focusing on cinematic style, cultural context, and the enduring influence of the Spaghetti Western on global cinema. We'll look at Leone's classics like A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Corbucci's eerily gripping The Great Silence, plus some others. We show each film in its entirety with English subtitles. Longer films will be spread across two class periods to allow ample discussion time. Be advised that these films contain violent content.

Something magical happens when we harness the power of our breath. The mind slows, the body relaxes, and we remember that we are part of something so much greater. This course will serve as a way to remember, as we combine these three powerful aspects of life—breath, meditation, and community. Each class will begin with a breathing exercise connected to simple seated movements to prepare the body and mind for guided meditation practice. Meditation will last about 20-25 minutes, after which we will share our experience with one another in breakout rooms. Sharing is an important part of the process, for meditation is different for everyone and no one experience is the same, nor is there a right or wrong way to meditate. This class offers a unique way to connect to your fellow human, realizing we all share much more in common than we think.

Camille Pissarro earned the title "Father of Impressionism" through his influence on younger artists and his remarkable kindness toward fellow painters, including Monet, Cézanne, Matisse, and Berthe Morisot. Born on St. Thomas in a prominent Jewish community, Pissarro and his brother attended a Moravian missionary school with predominantly Black students after a family dispute with the synagogue. This unique education gave him fluency in English and an unusual immunity to prejudice—qualities that shaped his inclusive approach to art and life.

After studying in France, Pissarro settled near Paris with his family, becoming the only artist to exhibit at all ten Impressionist exhibitions. He led these radical painters in challenging the rigid Paris Salon with fresh, impressionistic views of nature and the world.

As the Denver Art Museum presents its Pissarro exhibit (October 26, 2025--February 8, 2026), join Walling for a detailed exploration of Pissarro's life, work, and artistic impact.

Text: Anka Muhlstein, Camille Pissarro The Audacity of Impressionism (Other Press 2023).

Some directors have an identifiable brash style that we can all appreciate; some strive to be invisible—if you can see their efforts, they feel they have usurped the story. Whichever way, the great directors with long, successful lists of films to their credit are, in reality, supreme artists of film that can make you laugh through tears and surprise you with unexpected film twists. How do they do that? What direction and what film grammar do they know and use on you to tell their stories in compelling ways? Take this course and begin to see how they do it. We will look at a range of directing techniques, then a series of great directors: Steven Spielberg, Sidney Pollack, Joel and Ethan Coen, Stanley Kubrick, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and Quentin Tarantino. We'll see excerpts of their work, biographic info and interviews with them, and detailed commentaries on their techniques, mostly in the form of YouTube videos. Two hours per session, eight sessions. Come see, learn, and discuss. Warning: Many of these films are violent (Tarantino, Scorsese, and Kubrick especially), so know this before you sign up. No texts are required—information will be emailed as needed.

These four interactive sessions include lectures, group discussions, and online readings/videos. Session one examines U.S. healthcare status and insurance options (Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, VA, private). Compares international health systems and quality measures between the U.S. and other developed nations. Session two traces the $4.8 trillion spent annually on U.S. healthcare: where it originates and how it's allocated, as well as exploring why America spends twice the per capita amount of other developed countries yet leaves millions uninsured or underinsured. Session three is a two-hour deep dive into the $1 trillion problem of healthcare waste, fraud, and abuse. Finally, session four discusses pathways toward universal, comprehensive, affordable health insurance that eliminates medical bankruptcy, ensures adequate coverage, and provides quality care for all Americans.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) shapes our daily lives in subtle yet powerful ways. In this non-technical course, we will explore six case studies that reveal how AI systems work, the ethics behind machine decision-making, and the impact of these technologies on our world. We will gain a deeper understanding of AI’s current influence—and the possibilities ahead.

This Osher Online course, offered through the Osher National Resource Center, lets you learn with fellow lifelong learners nationwide, guided by a world-class expert. After enrolling, you’ll receive and email inviting you to a Member Orientation on January 7 at noon to review course materials, access your Zoom classroom, and prepare for your first class.

Book club and armchair travel! We focus on mysteries with a powerful sense of place, this time exploring various American regions or cities. A different author/series each week gives us stories to explore place as a character and how that location plays into the plot. Choose a couple or read a book a week, but plan to join in the wide-ranging discussions every week.

Some substances heal, others harm—and some do both. This chemistry-rich (but non-technical) course explores the fine line between pharmaceuticals and poisons. We will examine drug development, venom-inspired medicine, and the history of FDA regulation shaped by scandal and reform. From aspirin’s industrial roots to Gila monster hormones, participants will uncover the fascinating, sometimes unsettling chemistry behind what we choose to swallow.

This Osher Online course, offered through the Osher National Resource Center, lets you learn with fellow lifelong learners nationwide, guided by a world-class expert. After enrolling, you’ll receive and email inviting you to a Member Orientation on January 7 at noon to review course materials, access your Zoom classroom, and prepare for your first class.

“What really matters is the work.” Robert Redford

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid made Robert Redford a star as a lovable rogue—but he immediately shattered that image with Downhill Racer, creating a coolly unsympathetic portrait of ambition. Such risk-taking began a career that became a laboratory for artistic innovation.

During his mid-career, he followed his moral compass to create two true explorations of scandal, both hinging on the ethics of journalism and entertainment and showing how institutions protect deception: All the President’s Men, as actor and producer, and twenty years later, Quiz Show, as director. He brought his journey full circle with The Old Man and the Gun, a graceful farewell to his own persona, a man who can’t stop practicing his craft.

Join us for behind-the-scenes revelations, full screenings, and spirited discussions. We'll celebrate Redford’s lifelong commitment to hard work, innovation, and the pleasure of doing something well. “Work keeps me going.”

“What really matters is the work.” Robert Redford

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid made Robert Redford a star as a lovable rogue—but he immediately shattered that image with Downhill Racer, creating a coolly unsympathetic portrait of ambition. Such risk-taking began a career that became a laboratory for artistic innovation.

During his mid-career, he followed his moral compass to create two true explorations of scandal, both hinging on the ethics of journalism and entertainment and showing how institutions protect deception: All the President’s Men, as actor and producer, and twenty years later, Quiz Show, as director. He brought his journey full circle with The Old Man and the Gun, a graceful farewell to his own persona, a man who can’t stop practicing his craft.

Join us for behind-the-scenes revelations, full screenings, and spirited discussions. We'll celebrate Redford’s lifelong commitment to hard work, innovation, and the pleasure of doing something well. “Work keeps me going.”

The novel is set in East Texas during the Great Depression. A family of women, abandoned by their husband and father, set out to rebuild their lives through their own ingenuity and resourcefulness. The book should be purchased before class begins and is available online and at local bookstores. Although you may be tempted, please do not begin reading before class.

We approach reading as discovery in a reading community; therefore, much of the reading is done in class so that, together, we encounter the text as a group. We encourage all class members to mark their books to aid in discussion.

Required text: Paulette Jiles, Stormy Weather. Please purchase before class begins.

This class will explore the causes, events, and legacy of the American Revolution, designed to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Participants will examine the political, social, and economic forces that led to colonial resistance, from taxation without representation to the rise of revolutionary ideas. We will study key figures such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin, as well as the debates that shaped the movement toward independence. Major battles and turning points, such as Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, Saratoga, and Yorktown, will be analyzed, with attention to military leadership, strategy, and the role of international alliances, particularly France. The class will also consider how revolutionary ideals influenced the Declaration of Independence and the creation of the United States. Class participants will gain a deeper understanding of how the Revolution transformed thirteen colonies into a new nation and forged a lasting legacy.