Earrings and Bracelets: A Hands-on Jewelry Workshop

What better way to pass quarantine time than to learn a new art/skill that will enable you to create beautiful earrings and bracelets in the comfort of your own home! During this workshop, we will use gold-filled and sterling silver wire to explore linear forms, wrapping techniques, and tension clasps to develop our jewelry pieces. Demonstrations will include use of the chasing hammer and bench block, round nose and chain nose pliers, files, and sand paper. All skill levels are welcome! NO experience is necessary.

Supplies: A supply list with direct links and pricing will be provided via email. If you’d like to review the list before registering, please email ILR. Plan to order supplies at least a week before classes begin. You may already own your own supplies and are encouraged to use them. Otherwise, if purchasing everything on the list, the expected total will be around $50.

Instructor: Lisa Johnson is the Director of Jewelry & Textiles at The Lighthouse Art Center in Tequesta, FL. With degrees in Metalsmithing & Jewelry Design, Lisa exhibits art and conducts workshops nationally and internationally. Publications featuring her work include Making Glass Jewellery, 500 Necklaces, Humor in Craft, 500 Prints on Clay, New Earrings, and 500 Jewelry Designs.

2 Fridays: October 9–16; 9:00–10:30 am
Location: online

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How We Judge Art

Art is the essence of humanity, in making useful things as well as great works we admire. We judge art by ideas of value to human life, such as beauty, imagination, pleasure, and morality. How do we judge art well? Instead of observing art, we shall discuss the ideas from philosophers of art.

Instructor: Jack Sommer has taught philosophy at Miami University, Western College, and for ILR.

5 Fridays: October 9–November 6; 10:45 am–12:00 pm 

Location: online

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Hands-on with Google Photos

See how effortlessly your lifetime of photos can be backed up, organized, easily accessed, and then shared using Google Photos from any authorized computing device connected to the internet. It’s fabulous, it’s free, and it’s fun. Students will need a Google/Gmail account and password. While this is an online class, students should have their smartphone, tablet or laptop available for a hands on experience during the class.

Recommended text: Learn Google Photos 2020, by Chris Guld, available from the author or Amazon 9/1/2020. To facilitate hands-on experience, this class is limited to 10 students.

Instructor: Robin Seaver spent her career teaching basic computer skills from mainframe computers to today’s smartphones and tablets.

5 Fridays: October 9–November 6; 10:45 am–12:00 pm 
Location: online

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Ohio Historical Markers Reveal the History of Butler County

This class will explore five of the Ohio Historical Markers dedicated in Butler County. First, the life and times of Caroline Scott Harrison, born in Oxford, who became First Lady of the United States. Second, the life and times of the following from Hamilton: Warren Gard, U.S. Congressman, lawyer, and judge; Fannie Hurst, author and activist; The Butler County Children's Home, established in 1869; and Stella Weiler Taylor, journalist, teacher, author, poetess. Guest presenters will include Carrie Halim, Nancy Arthur, and Alice Sizemore.

Instructor: Kathleen Stuckey Fox was born and raised in Hamilton and became interested in her family history and local history late in life. Kathleen has created seven Ohio Historical Markers, has written and published two books about her family, and has conducted several ILR courses over the past 20 years. Her vision to create a sculpture of Caroline Scott Harrison was realized when it was dedicated in 2018 in the backyard garden of The Oxford Community Arts Center.

5 Fridays: October 9–November 6; 12:30–1:45 pm
Location: online

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Regenerative Medicine for Our Aging and Injured Bodies

Arthritis, tendinitis, and other painful conditions can significantly impact our daily functioning and the ability to do things that we most enjoy. Learn how stem cell therapy, platelet-rich plasma, and other forms of regenerative medicine may offer appropriate, non-surgical treatment solutions.

Instructor: Jeremy Girmann is a board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician who specializes in the treatment of muscle, tendon, nerve, and joint disorders.

1 Friday: October 9; 2:15–3:30 pm
Location: online

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Organize Your Memories with Omeka

Omeka is an online platform for collecting, organizing, and sharing digital artifacts. You can upload photos, stories, recipes, travel souvenirs, diaries, family memorabilia and more. In this session, Frances and her librarian colleagues will guide you through the process and will be available to answer future questions as you build your site. You can get rid of physical objects but still maintain their virtual presence, for you and for posterity!
Note: Free trial available but $35 annual fee to continue.

Instructor: Frances Yates is Director of the Indiana University East Campus Library (Richmond). She has worked at Miami University, the University of Maryland, and schools in Indiana, Illinois and Tunisia.

1 Friday: October 16; 2:15–3:15 pm
Location: online

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Nantucket Baskets: An American Heritage

In the 1850s, men stationed on the lightships off Nantucket Island created Nantucket baskets. From the beginning, they were as unique and strong as they were expensive. Now plastic bins and bags do the work of these prized baskets while inexpensive baskets hold the mail. Antique Nantucket baskets sell for thousands, but new baskets face a different challenge: they must be functional art. Today, weavers must balance honoring the traditional designs against incorporating new materials. Beginning (class 1) with Nantucket basket history, traditional construction, and evaluation, we will move (class 2) to contemporary designs, exotic woods, and new materials.

Instructor: Stephen Goettsch is a working artist who has been making and selling Nantucket baskets for 22 years after taking courses in Miami CraftSummer.

2 Fridays: October 23-30; 2:15–3:30 pm
Location: online

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Midday Matinee: Oh, Say Can You See? Visibility and Invisibility

During our class meetings, we will discuss movies that deal with invisibility and what they reveal about social and cultural assumptions and concerns. Students will be responsible for watching the movies in advance of each meeting date below.

October 9 – Above the Shadows (dir. Claudia Myers, 2019), with Megan Fox, Olivia Thirlby, Alan Ritchson. A young woman who has faded to the point of becoming invisible must find her way back with the help of the one man who can see her. The writer/director, Claudia Myers, expects to be available to discuss her film.

October 16 – The Invisible Man (dir. James Whale, 1933), with Claude Rains. A scientist finds a way of becoming invisible, but has to deal with unforeseen consequences.

October 23 – Wait Until Dark (dir. Terence Young, 1967), with Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin. A recently blinded woman is terrorized by a trio of thugs while they search for a heroin-stuffed doll they believe is in her apartment.

October 30 – Ghost (dir. Jerry Zucker, 1990), with Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg. A spirit stays behind to warn his lover of impending danger, with the help of a reluctant psychic. Note: A guest medium will mediate this day’s discussion.

November 6 – Memoirs of an Invisible Man (dir. John Carpenter, 1992), with Chevy Chase, Daryl Hannah, Sam Neill. After a freak accident, a yuppie turns invisible and runs from a treacherous CIA official, while trying to cope with his new life.

Coordinator: Sante Matteo, Professor Emeritus of Italian, has taught ILR courses on Italian literature and the movie course Friday Matinees (previously Sundown Cinema).

5 Fridays: October 9–November 6; 2:15–3:30 pm
Location: online