As winter term begins winding down this week, Osher members are eager to learn about their next opportunities to stay curious, connected, and engaged. Rest assured, like daffodils sprouting from their bulbs beneath the soil, Osher staff, volunteers, and instructors have been busy preparing our next session. Spring term courses begin March 17. Classes are now listed on our website here! Registration will open next week on Thursday March 5 at 9:00 am sharp. And we are hosting our second annual Spring Fling at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts on Friday March 13. Read below for more details and please mark your March calendars for more fun and learning at Osher!
|
|
|
Last Chance for Winter Term Classes!
|
|
|
You joined Osher and paid your membership dues for a year of fun. Now what? This single-session free class will welcome new members, provide a "meet and greet" opportunity to socialize a bit with others new to Osher, and show you the ropes of how to get involved. We will cover the material in our Member Handbook, letting you know how you can get the most out of your membership benefits...everything from where to get your U of U student ID card, to where to use it for discounts, to the many campus amenities available to Continuing Education students. Our program becomes stronger with each new member!
Tuesday March 17 at 11:00 am
|
| |
|
Historical novels tell stories about a time and a place and the people who live there, requiring authors to do extensive research to reflect the history accurately. Using The Owl was a Baker's Daughter by Grace Tiffany as the focus, we will look at the 17th Century English Civil War, focusing on the conflict between Charles I's Royalists and Oliver Cromwell's Roundheads to provide context for the novel. We will then spend a second hour discussing the novel as literature. Readers and history buffs welcome! Please read The Owl was a Baker's Daughter before class.
Friday February 27 at 11:30 am
|
| |
|
This short course will explore the various roles of museums as institutions of knowledge, preservation, and interpretation. The course will focus on the early history of museums in the United States and abroad, and provide a survey of topics such as exhibition practices, public education, visitor engagement, and building community relationships. Topics will be situated within the context of broader historical, intellectual, and cultural trends through time, and discussed from the instructor's personal experiences and perspectives working in archaeology and history museums.
Monday March 2 at 1:30 PM
|
| |
|
Join us for a guided tour of the Utah State Capitol. The tour will include Utah state history, architecture, and government processes. After the guided tour, you will be able to visit at your own pace, the newly added North Capitol building. Whether you are a history buff, a local resident, or just looking for a new place to explore, here is everything you need to know about Utah's newest Civic landmark. You will be able to see the "Crown Jewel": the stained glass laylight. If you only visit for one thing, let it be the atrium. Looking up, you'll find an impressive stained glass masterpiece created by the world-renowned Holdman Studios. Learn about the details, the story, and the "Easter eggs" hidden within.
Tuesday February 24 at 2:00 pm
|
|
|
The Booker Bookers will read Booker Prize winners in monthly meetings from September 2025 through May 2026. Each session will feature a rotating discussion leader from among Osher members. The reading list is curated by Osher volunteer Lee Ann Troutman, featuring titles available at both the Anderson Foothill branch of the city library system and the Granite County Library. Come join the Booker Bookers!
|
Please note: This event is offered as a series and you'll need to register separately for any sessions you'd like to attend.
|
| |
|
Join us for the March session! The book this month will be The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanigan.
Friday March 6 at 1:00 pm
|
|
|
| Osher Special Events in 2026 are brought to you in part from funding from ZAP
|
| |
|
Join us for a fun Spring Fling at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts on the University of Utah campus. From 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, we will host instructor previews of our upcoming spring term courses. You can meet and greet instructors and ask questions about their class content. At 12:00 pm, we will offer docent tours of the museum galleries and exhibitions. From 1:00 to 2:00 pm, lunch will be served in the museum's Great Hall under Japanese artist Onishi Yasuaki's spectacular Stone on Boundary installation. Free parking will be included, and main campus will be on spring break so getting to the UMFA and parking there will not be an issue. Help us celebrate the early beginnings of spring and the launch of our new term!
Friday March 13 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
|
|
|
Do you love attending Osher Special Events each term? Are you curious about how we select and organize our many varied fun events and who is responsible for planning them? This single-session free class will give you a behind-the-scenes tour of how Osher staff and volunteers run this very special and unique aspect of our program. Volunteerism is the foundation of Osher and especially of Special Events. We've slowly been gearing up after Covid changed the way events were done in 2020. We're getting back to more in-person meetings at familiar venues and exploring new places too. Come learn how it's done and maybe even plan a new special event yourself for your fellow Osher members or share your ideas for fun places for Osher to visit.
Wednesday February 25 at 10:00 am
|
|
|
Lunch & Learn lectures are wonderful opportunities to experience a sampling of what the Osher program offers, firsthand and for FREE! These lectures open to the general public, as part of our service to the community. If you have a friend who might be interested in Osher, please encourage them to attend and give us a “test drive”.
|
We also host an in-person Watch Party each term at our building at 540 Arapeen Drive, broadcasting the six Zoom sessions live, from 12 to 1 pm for those who would like the option to gather in person and watch the Zoom Event together. Grab your brown bag lunch, invite a friend, and join us--online or in person at the Watch Party--to enjoy these informative, interesting, engaging and free lectures.
|
Our huge thanks to longtime Osher volunteer Sandy Clark, who donates her time and energy to creating these six sessions each term for fellow Osher members. Thank you, Sandy!
|
|
|
Craig Wirth has been blessed to discover that the history of Utah (and America in general) is the history not just of buildings, cities, or places (although they are cool), but of people...and what those people have done in daily life. Some stories are amazing feats, some humorous, but most are just someone doing something unique or being that rare person who actually does follow their dream. Craig’s dream was to meet them, observe them, and be the lucky guy who gets to tell their stories.
Wednesday February 25 at 12:00 pm
|
| |
|
Call for Submissions – Osher Reflections
Attention Osher Members! We are excited to announce that the 2nd Edition of Osher Reflections, our new literary and art publication, is now in the planning stage, to be available by December 2026. We are soliciting 22 stories and poetry for this edition. The selection of these stories/poetry will be done by a juried panel of five Osher members including Holly Webster, the editor. Guidelines for writing these submissions can be obtained by email: hollyfw@gmail.com .
We know there are many people in our Osher community with intriguing stories, and we look forward to reading them! We are hopeful for very modest donations to help publish this project, but it is not obligatory for submission of your writing. Donations can be made through the Osher website.
|
|
|
Artwork: Song Bird by Marjorie Ann McClure
|
|
|
The UMFA is honored to host Hank Willis Thomas, an artist whose "interdisciplinary practice spans sculpture, photography, retroreflectives, quilt-based works, film, and more, often challenging the viewer to critically engage with the complexities of contemporary culture." You can view Thomas's neon artwork Pitch Blackness / Off Whiteness on loan from Art Bridges Foundation in the lobby of the Museum.
Wednesday March 4 at 6:30 pm
|
|
|
The Topaz Museum announces their 2026 pilgrimage which will pay tribute to the 11,212 people of Japanese descent who were incarcerated at the Topaz WWII American concentration camp. This event gives participants the opportunity to explore the legacy of Topaz as well as the Japanese American history in Salt Lake City and Utah. They will offer intergenerational programming, including activities at the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple and walking tours of historic Japantown and other local interests. On Saturday May 2nd, bus transportation will take participants from Salt Lake City to Delta for a day trip to the Topaz Museum and the historic Topaz site.
April 30 to May 2 – Registration Deadline March 31
|
|
|
Utah's National History Day
|
Volunteer judges are needed for the Utah Historical Society’s March and April History Day contests. Working with the theme Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History, young historians are investigating moments of change in local, national, and world history. Please help us give them a great learning experience by volunteering as a judge. Contests are held statewide, so find an opportunity near you! As a volunteer judge, you will assess projects, interview the students, and provide helpful feedback on their work. No prior judging experience is necessary.
|
|
|
Stay Connected by Joining Us on Social Media
|
The Osher Instagram and Facebook pages are a great way to stay connected. We highlight the accomplishments of Osher instructors and members. Special Events are updated, posted, and featured here too. Please like us to stay up to date and share with your friends who would enjoy all that Osher has to offer!
|
|
|
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
801-581-6461 | osher@utah.edu
osher.utah.edu
|
| |
|
Continuing Education at the University of Utah | 540 Arapeen Dr Rm 210 | Salt Lake City, UT 84108 US
|
|
|
Manage your preferences | Opt Out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.
|
540 Arapeen Drive | Salt Lake City, UT 84108 US
|
|
|
This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.
|
|
|
|
