SummerFest 2026 Catalog
SummerFest 2026 Catalog
SummerFest courses are on campus on Fridays, June 5, 12, 19, 26
Dates and times for Off-Friday courses are shown below
Registration open to current LLI members and nonmembers ($25 per course)
Registration starts May 26 and ends June 13, 2026
In-person classes will be held on Fridays (June 5, 12, 19, and 26) on campus. Off-Friday courses will be held in person at their respective locations on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Complete information may be found in the ProClass catalog.
Course Enrollment: There will be a one-class preregistration on May 26, starting at 9:00 a.m. and lasting until 7:00 p.m. that evening. During that period, LLI members may register for one course only. On May 27 at 9:00 a.m., people may register for as many courses as they wish on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is open to all members (free with 2025-2026 membership) and nonmembers ($25 per course). Log in to ProClass to register for courses.
The complete catalog with all course details (class size limits, classroom locations, dates, etc.) is in ProClass. Go to ProClass and from the Select Semester drop-down menu choose SummerFest 2026. Then hit the Search button. Click on any of the titles below to see expanded information.
on-campus courses
Friday - Period 1
9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Friday, First Period: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
June 5, 12, 19, 26
Description: Join us for an hour of mindful movement. This class includes 20-25 minutes of a foundational flow of poses to optimize full-body range of motion. The sequence consists of a combination of poses, including standing, sitting, twists, backbends, forward folds, and hip openers, with modifications offered as needed. We then transition into a restorative and supported “constructive rest” accompanied by a short guided meditation. We’ll conclude with “savasana” (deep relaxation), the most important pose of the practice, as deep relaxation helps calm the nervous system, reduce stress, and lower blood pressure. Bring a mat, blocks, and a blanket. Open to all levels.
Presenter: Stacie Greenhouse is certified in many styles of yoga, including vinyasa, yin, restorative, and somatic release for trauma and addiction. She holds certifications in sound meditation and Reiki. Ms. Greenhouse always feels honored to lead a practice inspired by those who attend and is grateful for the brilliant teachers with whom she has studied. Her classes balance movement, meditation, music, and thought-provoking poetry.
Producers: Carmela Gersbeck
Class limit: 15
Friday, First Period: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
June 5, 12, 19, 26
Description: Singing with a voice coach is designed to help students develop vocal technique and confidence to improve their singing and song interpretation. Dr. Theeman will provide accompaniment and individually guide each singer in a supportive environment to improve tone, breath control, and range. Students can suggest songs they would like to learn or songs can be offered to them. This class is for singers of all levels seeking focused, hands-on coaching. Come discover your vocal talents and share with the others in the class!
Presenter: Nancy Theeman, PhD, has had a lifelong career in music that includes performance and teaching. She is a pianist and singer who has performed in the United States and abroad. She has chaired music programs at schools in Westchester County and has directed numerous musicals there. She has conducted community choirs and for 30 years she ran Touring Talent, a program in which high school students go to local senior residences to share their talents.
Producer: Suzanne Holzberg
Class limit: 12
Friday, First Period: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
June 5, 12, 19, 26
Description: This four-week course invites members to delve into Tammany Hall’s complex legacy, examining its political influence on urban governance and lingering echoes in contemporary society. Key themes include corruption, reform, the dynamics of power in New York City, and the ways political machines shaped modern democracy. Through study of figures such as Boss Tweed and pivotal moments like the Progressive Era reforms, members will gain a nuanced understanding of Tammany Hall’s influence. By the end of the course, members will be able to critically analyze the impact of political machines on urban governance and draw parallels to current political structures.
Presenter: Robert Beaury, MS, (LLI) is a retired high school social studies teacher and college adjunct. He earned a BA in history and political science from Hunter College and an MS in education from Sage Graduate Schools. He has presented courses at LLI in history and government since 2019.
Producer: Robert Beaury
Class limit: 40
on-campus courses
Friday - Period 2
Fridays, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Fridays: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
June 5, 12, 19, 26
Description: This course explores the art of creating in the moment. It’s designed for beginners and anyone interested in strengthening creativity, public speaking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Drawing on techniques from theater, music, storytelling, and movement, the course encourages students to think quickly, build confidence, and support one another.
Students practice core improvisation skills such as “yes, and” thinking, character development, scene building, and ensemble awareness, emphasizing acting before you think, having fun, and trying something new. Upon completion, students will have a foundation in improvisational techniques that can be applied both on stage and in everyday life.
Presenter: Emily Houpt, a graduate of the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, studied with famed teachers Sanford Meisner and William Esper. Ms. Houpt worked and studied in London at Shakespeare’s Globe theater in “Teaching Shakespeare Through Performance” and at the University of Edinburgh during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She currently collaborates with students in local schools through arts-in-education programs. Like all actors everywhere, she is always looking for more paid theater gigs and new people to laugh at her old jokes.
Producer: Beth Goldberg
Class limit: 25
Fridays: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
June 5, 12, 19, 26
Description: The spectacular advances in astronomy during the 21st century can’t be fully appreciated without knowledge of the equally spectacular advances in the 20th century. That century answered questions like: “How do stars shine?” “How far away is the Milky Way?” “How did the solar system form?” These questions were answered by exploiting advances in physics and engineering, many related to the electromagnetic spectrum. Astronomy uses radio frequencies, microwaves, and X-rays as well as visible light. We’ll look at blinking stars. We’ll explore the hubbub caused by Hubble. And, of course, babble about the Big Bang.
Presenter: William (Bill) Tuel has developed and presented several LLI courses on the history of science. Previous topics have included computing, mathematics, atomic physics, electricity and magnetism, biology, and cryptography. Tuel earned the Boy Scout Merit Badge for Astronomy in 1954. The science has changed a lot since then!
Producer: Anne Brueckner
Class limit: 30
Fridays: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
June 5, 12, 19, 26
Description: Come explore the identity, culture, and history of Australia through the magic of film! From the first feature-length film made in 1906, through the New Wave of Cinema, to the present. Each week, we will watch one feature-length film at home (available on various streaming platforms; small rental fees may apply). In addition to exploring the theme of that movie in class, we will view excerpts from other films and discuss them. This is a great chance to become exposed to new films and revisit old favorites.
Presenters:
Michael Beames (LLI), a native of Adelaide, South Australia, discovered his lifelong passions for art, history, and storytelling early on. While attending a student exchange program at Buffalo State College, he met Sara, who would become his partner in life and adventure. After earning a bachelor’s degree in education and teaching in the Australian bush, he reunited with Sara in San Francisco. Michael subsequently transitioned to a career in the graphics industry. In 1990, he and Sara embraced entrepreneurship by founding a glass giftware company in New York’s Hudson Valley.
Sara Beames (LLI) interned at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and holds an art history degree. Her career includes roles as a gallery director and an advertising production manager. In 1990, she moved to the Hudson Valley with her Australian husband to launch a kiln-fired glass business specializing in Judaica, home accessories, and jewelry. Through decades of visiting family and traveling throughout Australia, Beames became immersed in its culture, history, and politics. She now happily claims it as her second home.
Producer: Fern Fleckman
Class limit: 30
Fridays: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
June 5, 12, 19, 26
Description: This introductory tai chi course consists of four sessions, based on those held regularly by the Dutchess County Office for the Aging across 16 sessions. The gentle movements are designed to improve flexibility in joints, increase muscle strength, decrease pain, and enhance balance. Each class starts with warmups focusing on the neck, shoulders, spine, hips, knees, and ankles. Participants will then learn and practice the routine’s opening movements. Be prepared to stand during the active portions. The course is suitable for beginners, but those with previous tai chi experience are welcome to join and participate.
Presenter: Georgette Weir is certified to teach Tai Chi for Health and Fall Prevention by the Tai Chi for Health Institute, founded by Dr. Paul Lam in Australia. She has been teaching the full 16-session program for seven years with the Dutchess County Office for the Aging. In addition, she has taught several eight-session introductions to the program for the Center for Lifetime Study at Marist University.
Producer: Robert Beaury
Class limit: 16
Fridays: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
June 5, 12, 19, 26
Description: This course explores the intricate history and cultural importance of lace, exploring its origins and development from ancient openwork forms to Renaissance styles, to its rise as “true lace,” used in royal courts during the Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo periods. It highlights Italian and Flemish influences, showing patterns from significant museum pieces, as seen in masterful portraiture. Early pattern books that helped spread lace throughout Europe will be presented. Lacemakers will be honored as talented yet anonymous artists. A discussion will lead to how contemporary lace continues to emerge as a statement piece, including its role in justice attire, symbolizing gender equality and dissent.
Presenter: Laura Erdos Fernandez (LLI) earned an MA in the history of design and curatorial studies from Parsons School of Design, in partnership with Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, and an MA in museum studies from NYU. She completed a thesis titled “Uses for French and Flemish Large-Scale Lace in European Domestic and Ecclesiastical Interiors from the Mid-Sixteenth Century through the Late-Eighteenth Century.” She has published articles on topics within design history and has worked with collections at Cooper Hewitt, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco.
Producer: Eleanor Wieder
Class limit: 30
on-campus courses
Friday - Period 3
1:00 p.m. until 2:30 p.m.
Friday, Third Period: 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
June 5, 12, 19, 26
Description: This course explores Provence as a place whose extraordinary light, landscape, and cultural depth have inspired artists across centuries. We begin in Nice with Marc Chagall, whose museum presents radiant biblical scenes shaped by color, memory, and modern vision. From there, we visit Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s final years in Cagnes-sur-Mer, where southern light informed his late style despite physical hardship. The series then turns to the Basilica of Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, exploring Mary Magdalene — arguably the second most depicted female figure in Western painting after the Virgin Mary — and her lasting presence in Provençal history. We conclude with Vincent van Gogh’s transformative years in Arles and Saint-Rémy.
Presenter: Sevan Melikyan is an art historian, lecturer, and curator born in Istanbul to Armenian parents and educated in Paris, France. He has developed a portfolio of over 60 art history lectures and regularly presents for Mohonk Mountain House. He is the owner and curator of Wired Gallery in High Falls, now in its 14th year, and the founder of Artblazing Tours, where he serves as guide and lecturer. He previously lectured for LLI at SUNY New Paltz (2014–2020).
Producer: Anne Brueckner
Class limit: 40
Friday, Third Period: 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
June 5, 12, 19, 26
Description:
Can sound healing transform your mind and body, or even change your DNA?
Using harmonic resonance and rhythmic patterns, this course guides the nervous system into calm, clarity, and balance. In our four weeks together, participants will develop hands-on skills and techniques. We will explore the history, science, and practical applications of sound healing, including the therapeutic benefits of drums, gongs, singing bowls, and tuning forks. Inspired by Edgar Cayce’s vision of sound as medicine, the course culminates in a deeply restorative group sound experience. Students should bring a yoga mat to class.
Presenter: Concettina Calder helps people to reconnect with their truest essence, guiding them to restore balance and awaken their natural healing potential. Drawing from a rich background in holistic wellness, recovery, and trauma-informed care, she creates immersive sound experiences using gongs, crystal singing bowls, tuning forks, and drums. She is certified from the Integrative Sound and Music Institute at the New York Open Center and practices in the Hudson Valley.
Producer: L. Walker
Class limit: 12
Friday, Third Period: 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
June 5, 12, 19, 26
Description: Across cultures and centuries, people have developed quiet, durable ways of navigating uncertainty, danger, transition, and hope. Long before formal doctrines, they acted—through gesture, word, timing, and attention—as if the world were responsive. These practices required not belief, but presence. We have forgotten much of their meaning, yet retain the sense of “superstition”—practices that seem to stand over us. This series explores these spiritual technologies: ordinary acts that orient us in time, protect what matters, and engage a world felt to be alive. They are not relics, but living habits—tools for managing risk, marking meaning, and sustaining attention.
Presenter: Edward Ingebretsen, PhD, holds degrees in theology and ethics and a doctorate in American Studies/Theology. His publications (books, journals) consider the intersection of gender, race, theology, and popular cultures. He concentrates on nonhuman animal ethics and American race and social history.
Producer: Robert Beaury
Class limit: 25
Friday, Third Period: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
June 5, 12, 19, 26
The class is four sessions of three hours each.
Description: Watercolor is a transparent medium and requires a different approach from opaque media such as oil, tempera, or acrylic. The watercolor class is meant for beginners but can be helpful to artists of different levels of experience. In each class we will discuss watercolor technique and how to mix colors. We will explore examples of different approaches and will begin with a short introduction to technique. We will primarily paint still lifes and, if possible, go outdoors to paint landscapes.
You will need to purchase materials. The Rhinebeck Artist’s Shop has agreed to offer class members a discount. Course participants can expect to spend a minimum of $50 on supplies. Materials Needed
Presenter: Dean Vallas has worked in a variety of media, including oil, watercolor, and drawing. He has taught painting and drawing in New York City and has exhibited his work in galleries, museums, and private collections. He develops his work through daily observation of his surroundings, including landscapes, still lifes, and figures. He also creates narrative works to document his reactions to a changing environment. Having studied at the National Academy of Art, where he received a Certificate in Painting, and at the Art Students League in New York City, his instructors have included Furman Finck, Ronald Sherr, and Mary Beth McKenzie.
Producer: Mary McClellan
Class limit: 12
off friday, in person
date & time
as noted in course description
Thursdays, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
June 4, 11, 18, 25
Description: From Mohican homeland to colonial farmland, from stately country seat to national historic site, the landscape of Montgomery Place at Bard College has changed considerably, especially over the last 400 years. In this course, we will walk the woodland trails, meander through the meadows, and stroll the gardens while observing the impact of modernization on the land and water, as we pay homage to the diverse peoples whose history here goes back thousands of years. Through readings, discussions, guided walks, and personal observations, we’ll explore the obvious and not-so-apparent evolution of the landscape. We’ll also meet a varied cast of characters who played more than just a supporting role as we take a broader, deeper look that goes beyond the customary story.
Note: Please wear good walking shoes. We will be walking on some uneven surfaces.
Presenter: Upon retiring after a 35-year career as a teacher, media developer, and academic administrator, Henry Woods became a volunteer docent trained by Historic Hudson Valley at Montgomery Place in 2011. Later, with encouragement from Bard, he developed a new series of outdoor tours focused on the changing landscape. His most recent narratives are strongly influenced by the new perspectives he has gleaned from Bard’s Rethinking Place initiative.
Producer: Mary McClellan
Class limit: 20
Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
June 2, 9, 16, 23
Description: Through understanding our towns, we better know ourselves. Place histories influence our present as we look forward. With guidance from trustees and volunteers of Historic Red Hook (HRH), participants will become familiar with the Elmendorph Inn’s history and HRH’s archives and with how they represent resources in their community. Next, participants will explore thinking like a historian using primary sources. A “Then and Now” walking tour of the Village of Red Hook and St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery develops connections to the town’s history. Finally, the basics of genealogy research start students on their personal historic journey.
Participants must be able to walk and stand for 90 minutes on uneven surfaces.
Presenter: Thea Burgess retired in 2020 from the Red Hook Central School District as a secondary English teacher. She served as a trustee of Historic Red Hook for over a decade, culminating in her term as president, which ended in 2025. She is a member of the education, communications, and development committees and is president ex officio of the organization. Ms. Burgess is at work on a novel titled Dame, a retelling of the Rip Van Winkle tale from the wife’s point of view.
Producer: Beth Goldberg
Class limit: 20
Tuesdays, 9:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
June 2, 9, 23, 30; No Class June 16; Rain Date July 1
Description:
Experience the scenic beauty of the Hudson Valley on four guided cycling adventures along historic rail trails. Each week, we will ride 10–21 miles on mostly off-road paths—former railroad corridors transformed into level trails ideal for riders of all levels. Along the way, we’ll pass through lush forests, peaceful waterways, and charming hamlets, with scenic stops to pause and take it all in.
Week 1 | Tuesday, June 2: Ashokan Rail Trail, West Hurley
Week 2 | Tuesday, June 9: Hudson Valley Rail Trail, Poughkeepsie
Week 3 | Tuesday, June 23: Harlem Valley Rail Trail, Millerton
Week 4 | Tuesday, June 30: Electric Rail Trail, Hudson
For Ride Details click HERE
Presenter: Barbara Alstadt is a prominent member and contributor to the Mid-Hudson Bicycle Club (MHBC), often serving as a ride leader for group cycling events in the Rhinebeck, NY area. She serves as a coordinator on the MHBC Board of Directors. Her enthusiasm for welcoming new riders is especially strong, and she enjoys designing routes where riders of varying abilities can participate together safely and enjoyably.
Producer: L. Walker
Class limit: 12
Credits
Curriculum Committee
Mary McClellan, Chair
Kathryn Clark, Secretary
Dorothy Baran
Robert Beaury
Anne Brueckner
Barbara Danish
Fern Fleckman
Carmela Gersbeck
Beth Goldberg
Suzanne Holzberg
Gary Miller
Chuck Mishaan
Margaret Moran
Janet Pincus
Cathy Reinis
Margaret Shuhala
L. Walker
Leslie Weinstock
Eleanor Wieder
Catalog Team
Ann Green, Chair
Anne Brueckner
Susan Christoffersen
Mark Houghtaling
Deborah Lanser
Susan Mermelstein
Margaret Shuhala
Karen Spinozzi
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