Art lovers have another opportunity to learn.
The Art History Class returns Sept. 28 at Village Green Retirement Campus. This time, the class covers topics of art from the 1880s and the following 40 years.
The class will cover impressionism, symbolism, expressionism, cubism and surrealism. Artists studied will include Monet, Cezanne and Sargent.
This is just the latest installment of the long-running class, which began about 20 years ago.
Jane Fitch started attending the class in 1990.
The class is held three times a year. Each class averages about 20 or more students, and many are longtime repeaters like Fitch.
Fitch said the teacher, Elizabeth Rodgers, keeps students coming back. Rodgers formerly taught art history at Highline Community College.
The class teaches participants much more than just art. The class is filled with history, explaining why and how the political and social landscapes influenced artists.
“Using art as the medium, she teaches us history,” said student Hank Fenbert, who has taken the class for at least five years.
And Rodgers really knows her stuff.
“I’ve never seen her look at a note,” Fitch said. “She is really outstanding.”
The first hour of the class is a history lesson. Rodgers sits in the front of the class and talks about what was going on during that time. The second half of the class is all about the art, showing dozens of slides of artwork.
“There’s no way we would have this much exposure to art otherwise,” Fitch said.
There is also the opportunity for a museum trip, with Rodgers acting as a docent.
After a number of years, the class started meeting at the Village Green Retirement Campus following the recommendation of one of the students who lives there. Fitch and Fenbert both agree that the location is ideal, with a nice area for meeting and coffee in the room.
Learn more
The class runs 9:30 a.m. to noon Tuesdays starting Sept. 28 at Village Green, 33451 1st Ave., and runs until Nov. 9. The class costs $55.
For more information or to sign up, call Jane Fitch at (253) 952-7714.
