To the Battlefield and Back Again is part of the NEH Dialogues on the Experience of War initiative. Between October 2022 and March 2023, professor Jennifer Kling will be hosting monthly discussion groups around the topics of war, trauma, and the reintegration process. The goal is to raise awareness and build community around the issues facing our veterans, active-duty service members, as well as their families.

Join Chuck Benson* for a for a three-part series on Modernism and Mid Century Modernism! All sessions are from 5:30 pm to 7:15 pm. Price is $15.00 per person – cash taken at the door. Part of the proceeds go to an ongoing fund for UCCS Downtown activities.

January 18: Furniture in the Home and Office

The first talk will focus on the design of furniture (chairs, sofas, and other pieces of design) for both residential and corporate use. World-class designers such as Charles & Rhea Eames, Florence Knoll, George Nelson, Eero Saarinen and many others will be explored to create an artistic sense of what was happening right after World War II until the early 1980’s.

January 25: Houses and Architecture

The second talk in this series will focus on Mid-Century Modernism & Modernism in Architecture. We will explore the development of the California Ranch & Tract Houses by Cliff May and others and explore some of the “Case Study” Houses by architects like Pierre Koenig in the greater Los Angeles Basin in the 1950’s & 1960’s. We will also explore what a small group of architects-William Krisel, Don Wexler and others created in Palm Springs with small houses in large tracts to create a form of “Mid-Century Modernism”. Finally, we will examine a few iconic hotels in Miami Beach by a noted architect in Florida named Morris Lapidus.

February 1: Paintings and Sculptures

The final presentation in this series will explore some icons of painting and sculpture in the USA. Well know and beloved painters such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Morris Louis, Helen Frankenthaler, Jasper Johns, and Andy Warhol will be explored, as well as sculptors such as Henri Moore, Judy Chicago, David Smith, Louise Nevelson, and Richard Serra. Much of this art is over half a century old, but is still being much appreciated, admired, while still creating controversy as well!

*Chuck Benson has been teaching the History of Art & Architecture for over 35 years in the greater Pikes Peak Region and the front range of Colorado. Chuck has taught at UCCS part-time, the Bemis School of Art, The Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, as well as at the PILLAR Institute. He is both an Architectural Consultant, Designer, & Art & Architectural Historian – and has led numerous local, regional, national, and international trips and tours to learn more about Art & Architecture.

Join Professor Jennifer Kling for a free monthly series on various contemporary philosophical topics. They take place the first Friday of every month from 5-7pm.

December 2: Public Schools, Charter Schools, and more!

February 3: Love & Sex

March 3: Ethics Slam

April 7: Guns to Garden Tools

May 5: Philosophy Senior Thesis Seminar