Episode 6: Interview — Art in Context

Forever Curious: An Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Podcast

Osher Lifelong Learning (OLLI) Instructor Misha Berson has — in the understatement of 2023 — been busy. Writer and arts critic, journalist and long-time educator, author, singer, and jazz enthusiast … she’s done it all.

She comes to OLLI - UW to share her passions with students. When writing, she says, she is often operating on a deadline and within word limits. But when she teaches a class on Stephen Sondheim, for example, she has the time to dive deep with students she knows are keen to learn.

In this episode, host Murray Urquhart and guest Misha talk through the value of the arts and the value of reviews and discussion of the arts. Art works exist in context — the time they were first created, and the context of the current times when we consume them. How do we engage with art when the environments of the artist and the audience are separated by time, space, and experience?

It’s a fascinating discussion. We hope you’ll have a listen and engage in one of the many lively conversations taking place at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Washington or wherever you are!

Find more from Misha Berson on Crosscut (https://crosscut.com/author/misha-berson) and of course, find more episodes of Forever Curious at the OLLI-UW website: osher.uw.edu.