Rainbow Lifelong Learning Institute, Boston

Schedule: This course will take place on Zoom on 5 Wednesdays (9/10/2025 - 10/8/2025) from 10:30AM until Noon.

Description: 

We show our faces on Zoom, but not much else. Who are we and what do we like in our environments? What kind of artwork do you have on your walls? Original Picassos? Your own paintings? Photos of your family? Musical instruments? Share with others the wall art that brings you joy. Bring us into your home and tell us the stories and histories of the items that you have put on your walls.

Students will take the class on a virtual tour of their homes, showing us a selection of the artwork on their walls. Each student will have about 15 minutes to show us 1-3 pieces of wall art and to tell us the history and significance of the piece. What does it mean to them? Where did it come from? The amount of time spent with each student will depend on the number of students taking the class. 

Students will answer these questions:

1. Pick a primary category for this piece: 
   a. Esthetics – I like it for how it looks
   b. Meaning – it represents something I’m interested      
   c. Connection – it connects me to someone in my life
2. Explain why you categorized it that way.

The class will have an opportunity to ask their own questions inspired by the art and the stories told about it. The course will have a shared class board where students will be able to upload a photo of the piece of artwork, categorize it, and say why. Other students will then be able to leave comments about the artwork.

Required Materials: 

Students will need to connect to Zoom on their smart phones or tablets so that they can walk around their home showing the wall art.

Prep for First Class:

Students should evaluate their wall art and identify which piece or pieces have the most interesting stories. At least 5-6 students should be prepared to present for the first class.

Instructor Bio: 

Thea Iberall is a writer and storyteller. Her ecofeminist novel, The Swallow and the Nightingale, is about a 4,000-year-old secret brought through time by the birds. Some of her wall art is related to her novel.