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2010
Cultural Institute weekend is July 22-25. Courses for the upcoming Cultural Institute will be announced January 4, 2010.
About the Course
This cooking class, taught by nationally acclaimed, James Beard recognized chef Chris Maher, will explore the flavors, ingredients and recipes of New Mexican cuisine. Chris will provide a brief overview of the history and culture of foods in Northern New Mexico, from the roots through the evolution into today’s world class cuisine. You will learn technique, theory, recipes and all about the flavors and ingredients found in the region. No prior experience in the kitchen is necessary; cooks will learn from working directly with the chef. There also will be an indepth discussion and tasting of wines, pairing the foods you create with New Mexican wines, as well as New World wines from Argentina and Spain.
About the Instructors
Christopher Maher is a successful and talented actor in film and television, as well as a nationally acclaimed chef who is recognized by the James Beard Foundation as one of the great regional chefs in America. He is a bon vivant and a gracious host. Chris has cooked for famous world leaders such as the Dalai Lama and Tenzin Gyatso. He lives in the mountains of Taos with his wife, Valerie Maher, and two sons. Chris currently heads Cooking Studio TAOS, a teaching and food consortium.
About the Course
This class will explore the art and life of Georgia O’Keeffe (1887–1986), situating
her paintings and philosophy of art within the larger context of modernism. The
course will employ O’Keeffe’s work as a vehicle to examine what nurtured the
emergence of modernism in America, as well as elucidate the sharp differences
between American and European art during that era. A course highlight will be a
field trip to Abiquiu and the Ghost Ranch site that will illuminate how Georgia
O’Keeffe’s art couples a great respect for the physical world with a desire to
transform and transcend it.
Recommended Reading
Full Bloom: The Art and Life of Georgia O’Keeffe, by Hunter Drohojowska-Philp
About the Instructor
Randall Griffin earned a Ph.D. in art history from the University of Delaware, then served for two years as a Fellow at the National Gallery of Art’s Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts. He taught at Vanderbilt University before coming to SMU in 1992 to teach in the Art History Department of Meadows School of the Arts, where he serves as associate professor and chair of the department. He has received two Hope Outstanding Teaching awards, the Golden Mustang Award for excellence in scholarship and teaching and the Rotunda Outstanding Teaching Award. Randall has authored several articles, as well as three books, Thomas Anshutz: Artist and Teacher; Homer, Eakins, and Anshutz: The Search for American Identity in the Gilded Age; and Winslow Homer: An American Vision.
“Simply wonderful. Dr. Griffin is fabulous! He is so enthusiastic and passionate in conveying his subject to the students. He was very prepared. He is also fun. It was a great course due to his excellent instruction.” – Margaret Gall
About the Course
You may know Taos, having visited Taos Pueblo, the Mabel Dodge Luhan House and perhaps even Martinez Hacienda. But do you have a sense of the influence that three separate cultures – Native Americans, European Americans and Hispanics – have had on Taos’s rich history? This course captures your imagination by getting you off the beaten paths to discover the landmarks and treasures that each group has bestowed upon Taos. From visiting Turley’s Mill, site of the Taos Revolt in 1847, to exploring currentday Latino and Native American politics, this course will deepen your understanding of what makes the city of Taos – and the diverse mix of cultures that has shaped it – so unique.
About the Instructor
Harold W. Stanley holds the GeurinPettus Distinguished Chair in American Politics and Political Economy in the SMU Department of Political Science. Harold came to SMU in fall 2003 from the University of Rochester, where he chaired the Political Science Department. He began teaching at Yale University in 1979 as a Prize Teaching Fellow. Harold earned a Bachelor’s degree magna cum laude and a Ph.D. in political science from Yale University. He received a Rhodes Scholarship for study at Oxford, where he earned a Master’s degree. His scholarly publications include three books: Vital Statistics on American Politics 2005–2006, Voter Mobilization and the Politics of Race: The South and Universal Suffrage, 1952–1984, and Senate vs. Governor, Alabama 1971: Referents for Opposition in a OneParty Legislature. The focus of Harold’s research and teaching is Southern politics, Latino politics and presidential elections. His current research concerns presidential nominations, partisan change and voting rights. He has frequently served as an expert witness in federal court cases on voting rights and redistricting.
About the Course
It once was reported that there were two great loves in J. Robert Oppenheimer’s life: physics and New Mexico. The two came together at Los Alamos during World War II when he helped assemble a secret community of brilliant scientists to usher in the atomic age. This course will focus on the rich human interest of the project, the science that led to the atomic bomb’s creation and reflection on the legacy left by those uniquely gifted men and women who toiled relentlessly in the mountains of Northern New Mexico to end the most savage war of modern history. Beginning with a stop in Santa Fe on Thursday afternoon for a special introductory session, the course will continue Friday at Los Alamos and conclude Saturday at the Taos campus.
Recommended Reading
109 East Palace: Robert Oppenheimer and the Secret City of Los Alamos by Jennet Conant
Los Alamos by Joseph Kanon
The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes
The House at Otowi Bridge: The Story of Edith Warner by Peggy Pond Church
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and
Martin J. Sherwin
About the Instructors
James Hopkins is Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Clements Department of History in SMU’s Dedman College. Stimulated in part by his father’s role in the atomic bomb attacks on Japan, he taught for many years the course Atomic Energy and the Modern World. The course’s themes were developed into the film “The University and the Fate of the Earth,” which won first prize in the New York International Film Festival.
Cas Milner received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. He has done experimental particle physics work at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, the Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Cas is an adjunct professor of physics at SMU, where he periodically teaches Introduction to Modern Physics. He works full time as a quantitative analyst in the investment business.
Physical Challenge: Low
$700
About the Course
Northern New Mexico’s transformations saw fur trapping give way to manifest destiny, national allegiances switch from Spain to Mexico to the United States and illustrious characters such as Kit Carson become living legends. This course delves into the history of the Taos region during the upheavals of the 19th century and will be cotaught by awardwinning author Hampton Sides and Paul Hutton, professor of history at the University of New Mexico.
About the Instructors
Paul Hutton is professor of history at the University of New Mexico and executive director of the Western History Association. He served as president of Western Writers of America from 2002 to 2004. Paul has published widely in both scholarly and popular magazines. He has written, produced or appeared in more than 150 television documentaries on CBS, NBC, PBS, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, TBS, TNN, A&E and the History Channel, and in 2003 was historical consultant for the Ron Howard film “The Missing.” From 2003 to 2005 he wrote and coproduced five episodes of the Bill Kurtis series “Investigating History.”
Hampton Sides is an American historian and author. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and graduated from Memphis University School. His Ghost Soldiers won the 2002 PEN USA award for nonfiction, and he has published three other books on American history. He also has served as an editor for Outside magazine. His magazine work has been twice nominated for National Magazine Awards for feature writing. Hampton lives in Santa Fe with his wife, Anne, a journalist.
About the Course
Northern New Mexico reveals at least 1.7 billion years of geological history. More recent geologic events, commencing about 30 million years ago, led to the formation of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Rio Grande Rift. Igneous/volcanic processes dominated the “recent” geologic activity and profoundly shaped the Northern New Mexico landscape. The physical and cultural impact of volcanism on Northern New Mexico will be the focus of this class. We will visit Bandelier National Monument to study the youngest and probably most violent volcanism. In addition, we will travel north to the Questa area, where we will visit the Rio Grande Gorge National Recreation Site and the Questa Moly Corp Mine.
About the Instructor
Bob Laury, professor emeritus in geology, began teaching at SMU in 1966 and served as director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Geological Sciences until his retirement in 1998. Bob taught and directed the SMU Geology Field Camp at SMUinTaos for 25 years. He currently resides in Mason, Texas, in a house constructed of Hickory Sandstone, the oldest sedimentary rock in Texas.
About the Course
Tired of returning from vacation with few photos to frame? Designed for beginning photographers, this course will teach you how to realize the full potential of your digital camera, even if yours is just a “point and shoot.” You will spend three days with SMU Photographer Hillsman Jackson exploring the land of enchantment, culminating in a comprehensive review of participants’ photos. Having photographed Northern New Mexico for more than a decade, Hillsman will share his tips for capturing the area on camera. Participants should have a digital camera equipped with manual mode. Comfortable walking shoes are suggested.
About the Instructors
Hillsman Jackson earned his B.S. degree in photography with a minor in art from East Texas State University in Commerce. He moved to Dallas in 1987 to apprentice under some of the leading commercial photographers in the Southwest. He then launched his own business, producing work that continues to challenge and inspire his craft today. Hillsman’s client list includes Mosaic, Network World, Plains Capitol Corporation and the University of Pittsburgh. He joined SMU as University photographer in 1993 and has produced awardwinning photography for a broad range of print and Webbased media. In 1998, Hillsman received the Silver Award Photographer of the Year from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). In 2001, Hillsman’s 1998 portrait of thenFirst Lady of Texas Laura Bush was selected as her official portrait for the 54th Presidential Inauguration.
Clayton Smith, returning for his fourth summer in Taos as photographer, specializes in digital technology. Clayton has experience working in commercial, news, event and wedding photography. He also works with photographers to create digital workflows. For the past five years, Clayton has assisted professional photographers both on location and in the studio, which has greatly expanded his knowledge and skills. Clayton’s images have appeared in SMU Magazine, Park Cities People, Paper City, Rotunda yearbook and The Daily Campus.
About the Course
Share the natural beauty of the Taos area while challenging your body to master new
outdoor adventures. Achieve your personal peak through two days of exhilarating
guided fun. You can sign up for two days of flyfishing, hiking, golfing or whitewater
rafting or select a different activity each day. You will be challenged and invigorated
in this Taos adventure. Adjustments to the altitude will be considered in all activities.
About the Instructors
Jeanne AthosAdler, principal and founder of Blue Skies Strategy, LLC, has 23 years of experience in marketing and consumer insights. She received a B.A. in psychology from Princeton University and an M.B.A. in marketing from the University of Michigan. A lifelong competitive athlete, Jeanne avidly pursues mountain sports as an area of interest and has hiked, biked, rafted and skied in Taos for 16 years.
Lynn Romejko Jacobs is an associate professor in the SMU Wellness Department and has 28 years of experience in training both mind and body. Her specialized interests are adult fitness and holistic approaches to healthy living. In 1990, Lynn originated the wellness courses that are taught each summer at the SMUinTaos campus.
“A truly outstanding weekend. An awesome experience seeingthe beauty of this great country. Very well led by ourinstructors who had done their homework and providedmuch information about this area. Each year gets better.” – Sandra and Bob Cecil
For more information
Contact Allison Curran at:
taosci@smu.edu or call 214-768-TAOS (8267).
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