Motor City Renaissance: Architecture, Innovation, and Creative Transformation Study Tour

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3 - SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2026

“Detroit is booming… the city’s revitalization - its design-forward architecture and new shopping, restaurants, and cultural spaces - generate an energy that is palpable.”  - The New York Times, July 30, 2025 Reinvigorated by new residents, investment, and imagination, 21st...

The Heart of Texas: Exploring the Brazos River Basin Study Tour

THURSDAY, MARCH 12–SUNDAY, MARCH 15

$3250 double occupancy; $500 single supplement This spring we will continue our deep dive into Texas roots when we travel the backroads of Central Texas through the fertile Brazos River Basin. The Heart of Texas is full of stories from...

Behind the Curtains at Houston Ballet

THREE TUESDAYS

Join us for three evenings behind the scenes of three captivating ballet works: Rooster, Illuminate, and Vi et Animo. Rooster, set to eight Rolling Stones tracks like “Paint It, Black” and “Ruby Tuesday,” brings the spirit of the ‘60s to...

Art on the Fly: New Installations at George Bush Intercontinental Airport

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 10:30 A.M.–12:30 P.M.

Note: this course is fully subscribed. Please join the waitlist below and we will contact you in case of a cancellation. Get ready to take an exciting journey through one of the world’s most celebrated airport art programs. Public Art...

Houston’s Future: Leading the Alternative Energy Transition

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 6:00–7:30 P.M., THE ION, 4201 MAIN, 77002.

Note: this course date has changed from Wednesday, October 22 to the rescheduled date of Thursday, October 2, 6:00-7:30 P.M. Join a dynamic conversation with local energy experts Bobby Tudor, Scott Nyquist, and Taylor Chapman as they explore how Houston...

Nationalism, Populism, and Democracy: A Global Perspective

FOUR TUESDAYS, OCTOBER 7, 14, 21, AND 28, 6:00–7:30 P.M.

George Orwell, Notes on Nationalism, 1945: “By ‘patriotism’ I mean devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life, which one believes to be the best in the world but has no wish to force on other people.......

Lone Star Legacy: Texas and Global Conservation

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 11:30 A.M.–1:30 P.M., AT KILROY EDUCATION CENTER, BAYOU BEND COLLECTION, 6003 MEMORIAL, 77007. LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED.

In Texas, we are already feeling the effects of climate and biodiversity challenges facing our planet. Our cities are developing at some of the fastest rates in the nation, while our freshwater supplies continue to be over-allocated. Droughts and flooding...

A Guide to AI for the Techno Curious

TWO MONDAYS, OCTOBER 20 AND 27, 11:30 A.M.–1:00 P.M

  Learn about the transformative power and the possible implications of artificial intelligence (AI) from a thought leader in AI integration. During the first session of this course, linguist-turned entrepreneur Kathleen Perley will provide a general overview of the current...

Red, White, & Chic

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 10:30 A.M.–NOON.

      Embark on a unique fashion tour through a treasure trove of American-made haute couture and ready-to-wear pieces, as the Houston Seminar revisits the collection of the Houston Community College Fashion Archives. Subscribers will get an in-depth look...

The Two Popes

TWO MONDAYS, NOVEMBER 3 AND 17, 6:00–7:30 P.M.

This year the Catholic Church has seen two rare and historical events that gripped world attention: the funeral of one pope and the election of his successor. Professor Sean Theriault, who teaches a course on the Catholic Church at UT...

How to Read a Short Story

THREE TUESDAYS, NOVEMBER 4, 11, AND 18, 6:30–8:00 P.M.

Anyone can do it, of course. You just have to get to the last page. But how can you read a story artfully? How can you read for literary experience, for aesthetic sensation, for craft, structure, character, and deep meaning?...

Pop-Up: The MFAH 100 Tour with Rainey Knudson

TWO THURSDAYS, NOVEMBER 6 AND 13, 11:00 A.M.–12:30 P.M.

      If you had to select 100 artworks from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, which ones would you choose? How does one even begin to whittle down a collection stuffed with nearly 80,000 wonderments from all over...

Exploring Houston’s First and Sixth Wards

TWO SATURDAYS, NOVEMBER 15, 10:00 A.M–4:30 P.M., AND DECEMBER 6, 10:00 A.M–5:30 P.M.

Houston’s First and Sixth Wards offer an engaging study in contrasts. The First Ward dates from 1840, when the city’s initial four wards (city council districts) were delineated. The final ward, the Sixth, was carved out of the Fourth and...

Nurturing the Creative Spark

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 6:00–7:30 P.M.

Note: Due to a scheduling conflict, the date of this course has changed, from November 19 to December 3. The quest to increase our creative reservoir has always been central to the human experience. While we recognize how important creativity...

Slow Looking at Art

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 10:30 A.M.–NOON

Join Michelle White, senior curator at the Menil Collection, as she leads us through a session that encourages deliberate, mindful engagement with artworks. In a fast-paced world where museum visitors often spend only a few seconds viewing each piece, this...