From the Art and Music Program Planners—Summer Art Classes
By Christine Narbut, Art and Music Program Planning Group Co-Chair
The summer term started this week and there is a great selection of Art classes to consider.
A Painter Always Paints Himself: A History of Self-Portraits, Part Two (Part 1 not required)Mondays, June 24 – July 15, 11:50, via Zoom
Dabbling Artistshybrid
There are four different sessions of Dabbling Artists listed in the catalog. In Art and Music, the five-session hybrid class—which meets on Thursdays, 11:50–1:15 – July 11, 18, 25; and August 1—will be the last of the Dabbling Artists classes as it transitions into the Dabbling Artists Club.
This summer, the Dabbling Artists Club will meet every other Friday from 9:30-11:30 July 19; August 2, 16, 30; and September 13, 27. Dabbling Artists come together to share visual art skills and ideas in painting, drawing, pen and ink or color pencil sketches, pastels, or mixed media. We meet in person at Fairfax in TA‑3 and via Zoom. Join the class and/or club to share this creative time with your OLLI friends.
Some Programs Cannot Come to OLLI, But We Can Go to Them
By Camille Hodges, Humanities and Social Sciences/Current Events Co-Chair, and Diversity Advisory Group Co-Chair
OLLI is looking for presenters with expertise regarding American Indian history. Meanwhile…
Indigenous Voices of the Americas
Celebrating the National Museum of the American Indian. June 26–July 1, 2024
From the websitehttps://festival.si.edu:"At the 2024 Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall, Indigenous artists and makers, professional chefs and home cooks, musicians, dancers, athletes, and storytellers will demonstrate the depth of multigenerational traditions as well as new, innovative approaches to cultural expression.
Join a circle of celebration with stories, songs, and dance. Experience ancestral foods like the Three Sisters (beans, corn, and squash) and inventive, sustainable cuisine. Learn stories that underlie Indigenous sports and games. Hear how Indigenous youth are reclaiming their languages through spoken-word and hip-hop. Explore traditional arts that flourish in their connections to place and environmental knowledge."
Keep in mind that it’s hot in late June and early July! Those of us who have attended these festivals know it’s worth the trip, but don’t do too much in one day. Take your grandkids, bottled water, snacks, wear a hat, and enjoy. Thanks!
Editor's Note: This article appeared in the last issue of E-News; it is repeated here to encourage your participation in celebrating the National Museum of the American Indian.
By Norma Jean Reck, Theater Lovers' Group Coordinator
TLG to see Hair
Due to popular request, Theater Lovers' Group (TLG) members and our always welcome guests will see the Sunday 2 PM matinee performance of Hair at Signature Theater on Sunday, July 7, followed by dinner at Eugenia. You and your guests are invited to join us for a delightful afternoon of fun and fabulous cuisine. To purchase your tickets, either phone Signature box office at 703-820-9771 or go online sigtheatre.org ASAP. There are a few tickets left. Please email me if you want to join our fabulous group for dinner so I can make the necessary reservations.
TLG Goes to Contemporary American Theater Festival
On Wednesday, July 10, Theater Lovers and guests will carpool to Shepherdstown, West Virginia, to see Tornado Tastes Like Autumn Sting and Parts 1 and 2 of What Will Happen to All That Beauty, with supper at the theater at intermission. We will stay overnight at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Charles Town, 10 miles from Shepherdstown. Group rate is $159. To make a reservation, phone Devin at 304-725-2200 or email her at devin.bonievich@hiltton.com. Tell her you are with OLLI Theater Group. Free breakfast, wifi, restaurants, etc.
On Thursday, July 11, we will meet for a lecture and then see Enough to let the Light In, after which we will meet for dinner before departing for home.
We need two more people to sign up to get the discount rate of $212 for the tickets. If interested, please email Norma at njreck@cs.com ASAP.
TLG to Hold Luncheon-Planning Meeting
On Wednesday, July 24, TLG will meet at Hamrock's for a luncheon meeting to plan for upcoming events as well as plays the upcoming 2024-2025 theater season. Everyone is welcome. Bring a friend and your show suggestions. Details to be announced shortly.
Editor's Note: Article unedited and as submitted, at the request of the author
By Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch, Co‑Moderators
Continuing our Wednesday Conversations series, Team Bloch (Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch) will moderate a Zoom discussion on July 3 at 4:00. Our topic for July 3 is Inflation – Is It Tamed or Still Out of Control?
While the data suggest inflation is down, is that what you are experiencing? Insurance is rising dramatically. A haircut, going out to eat, the cost of a repair and other services seem to be increasing. How do we explain this disconnect? Why are we skeptical of the data?
Feel free to join in with us on Zoom using the 24/7 Chat Line login. Our conversations usually run about an hour, and we encourage you to participate. Everyone gets an opportunity to share their opinions and we all learn a lot.
Team Bloch (consisting of Brenda Bloch-Young and Doris Bloch) conducts the Wednesday Conversation every week at 4:00, but there is no need to register or otherwise commit to joining in advance. It’s all done ad hoc. We welcome your thoughts and insights.
Not one
not ten
not hundreds
not thousands
but millions
of men, women, and children
should be marching
the labyrinth
the length and breadth of our land
with signs saying We demand better gun governance.
But if not millions
if not thousands
if not hundreds
if not ten
then one person
one man, woman, or child
should be marching.
By Christine Cimino, Workhouse Arts Center Director of Marketing and Communications
The Workhouse Arts Center is presenting our annual FireWorks event on Saturday evening, June 29 (tomorrow), 6:00-10:00. This year we have several fun activities to enjoy including lawn games, performances from local music and dance groups, kids’ activities, …and fireworks!
For tickets for either Center for the Arts Concert Hall (CFA) or Hylton Center, call 1-888-945-2468. You can also buy tickets online through the event calendar (see links below) or visit the venue's box office. For more information, see the CFA ticket pageor the Hylton Center ticket purchase page.
Dr. Linda Apple Monson produces a periodic “Notes from the Director.” This email is full of information on interesting online performances by the students and faculty of the School of Music. If you would like to receive these bulletins, just sign up at this linkto stay in touch. Also, the Center for the Arts has a website,Mason Arts at Home, which has a calendar of online events and access to many past performances.
Please note: OLLI Meetings and Clubs may currently take place in several formats: some are in person only, some are online only, and some are hybrid, meaning that they take place in person and are accessible online simultaneously. OLLI events and activities meeting online bear the identification "Z" in their course or event number (except clubs; you may need to check the OLLI calendar and daily schedule email for location and other event information). Refer to the university's coronavirus website for official university updates.
The following list covering the next two weeks is extracted for your convenience from the master online calendar maintained by the office. The list is accurate as of mid-week, but for the most up-to-date information, please view the latest forecast of coming events on our website (News/OLLI Calendar). Note: All OLLI members are welcome at, and encouraged to attend, meetings of the Board of Directors, committees and resource groups, kick-off coffees, etc., bolded below. The OLLI office has sent (or will send) emails with links and meeting passwords to club members; you may also log in at the member portal and click on ZOOM CLASS LINKS.
Sat Jun 29
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club – online
Mon Jul 1
9:30 am
10:00 am
4:00 pm
What’s in the Daily News? – online
Bridge Club
Family History/Genealogy Club – online
Tue Jul 2
1:00 pm
4:30 pm
Stay Active and Independent for Life – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Wed Jul 3
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
Spanish Club – online
Conversation with Team Bloch – online
Thu Jul 4
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club – online
Fri Jul 5
9:30 am
9:30 am
9:30 am
11:00 am
1:00 pm
Mah Jongg Club
Crafts and Conversation
Dabbling Artists Club
Homer, etc. – online
Stay Active and Independent for Life – online
Sat Jul 6
10:30 am
Tai Chi Club – online
Mon Jul 8
9:30 am
10:00 am
10:00 am
What’s in the Daily News? – online
Board Game Club
Bridge Club
Tue Jul 9
1:00 pm
4:30 pm
Stay Active and Independent for Life – online
Tai Chi Club – online
Wed Jul 10
2:00 pm
4:00 pm
4:00 pm
Memoir and More Writing Group – online
Mah Jongg Club – online
Conversation with Team Bloch – online
Thu Jul 11
4:30 pm
Tai Chi Club – online
Fri Jul 12
9:30 am
9:30 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
11:30 am
1:00 pm
2:30 pm
2:30 pm
Photography Club
Crafts and Conversation
Spanish Club
Homer, etc. – online
Cooking Club
Stay Active and Independent for Life – online
Tallwood Book Club – online
Caregivers Support Group – online
OLLI E-News was created by Rod Zumbro, who served as its editor from 2005 to 2013.
Editorial Staff
Chief Editor: Paul Van Hemel
Associate Editor: David Gundry
Weekly Editor Team: David Gundry, John Nash, Sheri Siesseger,Paul Van Hemel Proofreaders: Rebecca Jann, Susan Van Hemel, Tom Appich, Martha Kossoff, Anne Hartshorn, Bonnie Becker, Carol McManus
Submissions: Members are encouraged to submit letters to the editor, letters to Ms. Ollie Ettakit (on etiquette matters), OLLI-related news items, articles, and photos. Submit material to: ollienewseditor@gmail.com. Deadline: Tuesday, 6:00, for that week's issue (Monday, 6:00, for letters to the editor); early submissions are greatly appreciated. Please limit articles to about 250 words. Note: You can view past issues of OLLI E-News on the DocStore. To search the content of issues, use Search Our Site or put your search term in Google followed by "site:olli.gmu.edu/" without the quotes.
The Workhouse Arts Center is presenting our annual FireWorks event on Saturday evening, June 29 (tomorrow), 6:00-10:00. This year we have several fun activities to enjoy including lawn games, performances from local music and dance groups, kids’ activities, …and fireworks!