Olio: noun \ˈō-lē-ˌō\  

A miscellaneous collection (esp. of art or literature)

Interdisciplinary learning with the best professors


Jun 11

The Exclusive Club of Whiteness: Exploring Racial Hierarchies

Many people now understand that "race" is not biologically determined. However, at the same time that we say "race" is not real, we continue to act as though it is.
Taught by Angie Beeman
Sun, Jun 11 // 4 p.m. at Chinatown Soup

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Jun 13

A Cosmic Exploration: Astrophysics and Space Technology

Join us for a unique astronomy Olio where Michael Hamburg will help us explore the cosmos using a telescope and open the floor to any and all questions you have about outer space.
Taught by Michael Hamburg
Tue, Jun 13 // 7:30 p.m. at Nowadays

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Jun 15

How Pop Culture is Shaping Queer Identity

In this talk we will discuss some examples of Queer representation in popular media and whether we should see these representations as liberatory or regressive.
Taught by Jaime Weida
Thu, Jun 15 // 7:30 p.m. at Berg'n

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Jun 16

Modern Art, Gender Roles, and the Work / Life Balance

Four artists whose personal stories are just as varied as their work, remind us that the issues of "work/life balance" and women's shifting roles in male-dominated fields are nothing new. How did these four women define modern life and modern art for themselves?
Taught by Jessica Murphy
Fri, Jun 16 // 7 p.m. at Strand Bookstore
**Complimentary beer and wine by our presenting sponsors, Sixpoint Brewery & Maison Cubi.

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Jun 17

Buffy 20th Anniversary Party // A Radical Feminist Seeks Answers from The Slayer

Through discussion and the viewing of a few clips, we will look critically at the show’s overarching narrative, asking ourselves: Was Buffy truly a feminist icon? If so, what kind of feminist?
Taught by Jamie Warren
Sat, Jun 17 // 7 p.m. at The Footlight Bar
**There will be BUFFY on both Screens! 90's themed jams all night in the bar and 90's clothing is encouraged. Hellmouth Happy hour all night with drink specials served up with sasafras by Gramma Sabels.

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Jun 20

Monsters From the Id: Horror and the Darkest Corners of the Human Psyche

We'll learn about how examining the horror genre can lead directly to an examination of some of the darkest and most dangerous corners of the human psyche.
Taught by Jaime Weida
Tue, Jun 20 // 7:30 p.m. at Nowadays

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Jun 21

That Fresh Sound: Modern Poetry, Kanye West, And Shaking Your Mind Out of Its Rut

This Olio will discuss a book that is specifically charged to break the mind out of cliché and into a perpetual freshness of language – and maybe cure writer’s block.
Taught by Geoff Klock
Wed, Jun 21 // 7 p.m. at JWALK
**&pizza + Viva Tequila included with your ticket

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Jun 23

Man's Separation from Nature and Where to Go from Here

Our unsustainable relationship with Nature is fueled by a long held view in Western thought that Man is separate from Nature. This discussion will explain the origins of this separation and attempt to provide an idea of how we can actually go about discharging our responsibility for environmental harms.
Taught by Manuel Rodeiro
Fri, Jun 23 // 7 p.m. at Strand Bookstore
**Complimentary beer and wine by our presenting sponsors, Sixpoint Brewery & Maison Cubi.

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Jun 26

Music, Decadence, and Altered States of Mind: Drinking in the Drawing Room

We'll explore the trend of artists who access an altered state to aid in creation.
Taught by Whitney George
Mon, Jun 26 // 7:30 p.m. at Strong Rope Brewery
**Happy Hour on local craft beers by Strong Rope.

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Jun 27

Weaponizing Words: Political Vigilance and Letter Writing as Activism

Using “Revolutionary Letter #63” as a flash point, we will compose our own epistles. Packets of Di Prima’s poems, additional epistles, and blank postcards for our brief free-writing exercise will be provided. We will also have on hand the names and addresses of local elected officials and public servants, should we want to put our poetic activism to work.
Taught by Jessica Rogers
Tue, Jun 27 // 7:30 p.m. at Nowadays

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Jun 30

The Woman Question

The woman question actually posed the inquiry: 'What are women good for?' Let's discuss the psychic and social ramifications of being a question.
Taught by Jamie Warren
Fri, Jun 30 // 7:30 p.m. at Strand Bookstore

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Jul 7

Free as Gods: Picasso, Calder and Artists at Home in the Theater

More than just stars on the art scene, Picasso and Calder took center stage in the world of theater and that changed the course of their work forever.
Taught by Charles Riley
Fri, Jul 7 // 7 p.m. at Strand Bookstore
**Complimentary beer and wine by our presenting sponsors, Sixpoint Brewery & Maison Cubi.

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Jul 8

Evoking the 1950's: The Era When America Was Supposedly So Great

We'll converse about the rise of television, the GI Bill, suburbanization, the baby boom, the Cold War, the early civil rights movement, and a thorough re-examination of popular claims that the decade was America’s Golden Age.
Taught by Lawrence Cappello
Sat, Jul 8 // 4 p.m. at Bed Stuy Brownstone

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Jul 14

A History of Analog in Revolt & Sparking Poetic Revolutions

If part of the purpose of Dial-a-Poem was to use new and accessible technologies to spark poetic revolution, what relevance can we draw in an era of digital phones and emails?
Taught by Jessica Rogers
Fri, Jul 14 // 7 p.m. at Strand Bookstore
**Complimentary beer and wine by our presenting sponsors, Sixpoint Brewery & Maison Cubi.

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Jul 16

*Read-In* Meditations

Gathering together around Meditations will allow us to apply Stoic philosophy to the dilemmas we face in life.
Taught by Michael Prettyman
Sun, Jul 16 // 4 p.m. at Dean Machine

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Jul 18

Philosophical Trash Talking: Reading and Ridiculing "The Languages of Art"

"Aesthetics is to artists as ornithology is to birds." - Barnett Newman
Taught by Dena Shottenkirk
Tue, Jul 18 // 7:30 p.m. at Nowadays

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Jul 19

Pleasures, Taboos, Magic: Art History in Perfume Advertising

This illustrated Olio brings together ads from the past century that attempted to evoke (and sell) perfumes through references to fine art.
Taught by Jessica Murphy
Wed, Jul 19 // 7 p.m. at JWALK
**Complimentary mixed drinks provided by Viva32 Tequila.

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Jul 21

Inventing The Concept of Race: There's Nothing Natural About Segregation

This Olio will trace the historical invention of the “race” concept as a step-by-step, intentional process designed to prevent interracial collaboration.
Taught by Angie Beeman
Fri, Jul 21 // 7 p.m. at Strand Bookstore
**Complimentary beer and wine by our presenting sponsors, Sixpoint Brewery & Maison Cubi.

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Jul 28

Women, Design, and Empowerment: I Will What I Want

This Olio begins a dialogue around designs created to emancipate those who menstruate, give birth, and/or identify as women.
Taught by Michelle Millar Fisher
Fri, Jul 28 // 7 p.m. at Strand Bookstore
**Complimentary beer and wine by our presenting sponsors, Sixpoint Brewery & Maison Cubi.

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