Acting Fundamentals
An introduction to the use and development of the fundamental tools of the actor through lectures, discussions, critical analysis, and practice, with an emphasis on acting exercises, improvisation, monologues and scene study.

Acting I
An introduction to the use and development of the fundamental tools of the actor through lectures, discussions, critical analysis, and practice, with an emphasis on acting exercises, improvisation, monologues and scene study.

Advanced Poetry Workshop
Advanced writing students will continue their exploration into poetry through writing  a manuscript for publication and creating individually designed projects.

Art of the Essay
This course joins the ongoing discussion about what constitutes an essay by reading and writing three of its dominant forms: literary journalism, the personal essay, and the lyric essay. Class discussions of major essayists will focus on how they choose to tell their true stories and how their choices are suited to their subject matter, including travel, memory, and nature. Students will also research and write original examples of these forms and critique each other’s essays in class.

Beginning Creative Writing
This course is a writing workshop that focuses on fiction, but exposes the students to the various genres of writings such as poetry, fiction and drama.

Creative Expression: This is Your Brain on Art
Students engaged in this course will become familiar with a  variety of art forms and use this knowledge and skills to create a production that can be shared with an audience. Throughout the course, students will work as collaborative teams providing feedback to each other and learning the art of self–assessments and reflection. Students will apply what they have learned in a final production and create a portfolio of their journey through the course where they systematically and thoughtfully analyze each step of their journey.

Creative Expression: This is Your Brain on Art
Students engaged in this course will become familiar with a variety of art forms and use this knowledge and these skills to create a production that can be shared with an audience. Throughout the course, students will work as collaborative teams providing feedback to each other and learning the art of self-assessment and reflection. Students will apply what they have learned in a final production and create a portfolio of their journey through the course where they systematically and thoughtfully analyze each step of their journey.

Drawing and Painting From Nature
This course emphasizes the natural world as a source and inspiration for artists. Beginning and intermediate students in either drawing or painting are invited to participate. Students may draw or paint from sources in nature in a variety of ways depending upon experience, skill and interest. They may work directly from nature outdoors in the landscape, indoors from plant and other natural forms, or use natural forms as the source of their imagery. Students will become familiar with the historic traditions of artists who have studied and revered nature through drawing or painting, or have taken their inspiration from the natural world. Each student will be required to complete a portfolio of work.

Drawing I
Fundamental techniques of drawing are explored through line, form, value and composition.

Language of the Trees
How has nature been written about and portrayed in literature? How is it possible to write successfully about nature in a time when the natural workd is being profoundly transformed under the pressure of human economic and technological activities? The primary purpose of this course is to foster an energetic and constructive community of writers. Our readings will acquaint students with the wide variety of American nature writing, and offer examples of how other authors have vividly conveyed the details, the patterns, and the human meaning of the natural world.  The secondary aim of this course is to refine your skills in analyzing and writing arguments. In order to write about nature, one needs to interpret nature, and this interpretation entails attending to different meanings (historical, scientific, philosophical, mythological) of nature.

Life Stories II: Advanced Memoir Writing
This course will provide students who are passionate about writing with an opportunity to explore the memoir genre in depth with close attention to matters of craft and technique. This course will use an intensive workshop approach, both through online discussions and in two intensive weekends of face-to-face work. We will study the memoir genre and matters of craft by reading and responding to memoirs by contemporary writers and practical guides to writing.

Life Stories: Memory, Family & Place
This workshop-based writing course will focus on memoir writing rooted in an exploration of family and place. We will study the writing process and matters of crafts by reading and responding to two memoirs by contemporary writers and two practical guides to memoir writing. Topics to be studied include: voice, audience, memory, truth, metaphor, meaning, form, research (as part of the creative process), and reaching your readers. Class time will include discussion of readings, writing exercises designed to help students with matters of language and techniques in their own writing, and group critiques of work-in-progress. Students in this course must bring a commitment to writing for a public audience and a willingness to participate in active, lively criticism of student work.

Movement for the Performer
A theatrically-oriented dance course for the performer. This course explores the use of music, masks, properties and furniture. Students participate in exercises and develop presentations in an effort to experience varying and innovative techniques through which the performer can communicate

Photography I
Although the computer has transformed the medium of photography, this class explores the traditional fundamentals of photography employing the new technology in a simplified workflow. Emphasis is placed on personal expression through the creation of black and white and color imagery. A digital camera with a least 5MP that allows manual control of aperture and shutter and uses Raw format and a 1 GB memory card is required. Please contact professor prior to sign-up.

Poetry Workshop
Students submit their own work for critical discussion and revision, participate in the critical discussion of their colleagues’ work, and complete a poetry portfolio. Prerequisites: College Writing I and II.

Short Story Workshop
Students submit their own work for critical discussion and revision, participate in the critical discussion of their colleagues’ work, and complete a short-story portfolio.

Still Life Painting: The Unconventional Object
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Two-Dimensional Design
This is a studio course stressing the fundamentals of visual organization introducing the beginning student to basic two-dimensional design elements such as line, shape, form, texture, value and color.