From the Score to the Soul: The Art of Leadership Without Words

One Wednesday: September 16 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Weinman Hall, Music Academy of the West | 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Nir Kabaretti
How a Concert Is Planned from the First Note to the Last Applause How does a musical score become a living, breathing performance that moves an audience? What does a conductor actually do? Drawing on decades of experience on the podium, Maestro Nir Kabaretti, Music and Artistic Director of the Santa Barbara Symphony, takes our audience behind the scenes of the concert-making process. From selecting repertoire and interpreting the score to guiding rehearsals and shaping the final performance, he reveals how a conductor leads without words and transforms written notes into a compelling musical experience.

From the Score to the Soul: The Art of Leadership Without Words

One Wednesday: September 16 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Weinman Hall, Music Academy of the West | 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Nir Kabaretti
How a Concert Is Planned from the First Note to the Last Applause How does a musical score become a living, breathing performance that moves an audience? What does a conductor actually do? Drawing on decades of experience on the podium, Maestro Nir Kabaretti, Music and Artistic Director of the Santa Barbara Symphony, takes our audience behind the scenes of the concert-making process. From selecting repertoire and interpreting the score to guiding rehearsals and shaping the final performance, he reveals how a conductor leads without words and transforms written notes into a compelling musical experience.

California: Here & Now
Ensemble Theatre Company’s New Season

One Friday: September 18 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price $30

Presented by Scott DeVine
ETC’s Executive Artistic Director, Scott DeVine, traces his path through various positions that prepared him for this role, then unveils the upcoming season, “California: Here & Now,” exploring how the stories we tell about the Golden State reveal who we are and who we hope to become. With a lineup grounded in California as a place where dreams are made and then tested—with RENT and Doubt: A Parable set as deliberate counterpoints—along with works that measure the California dream against questions of faith, community, and survival, he celebrates the power of storytelling and theatre’s enduring transformative magic.

California: Here & Now
Ensemble Theatre Company’s New Season

One Friday: September 18 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price $30

Presented by Scott DeVine
ETC’s Executive Artistic Director, Scott DeVine, traces his path through various positions that prepared him for this role, then unveils the upcoming season, “California: Here & Now,” exploring how the stories we tell about the Golden State reveal who we are and who we hope to become. With a lineup grounded in California as a place where dreams are made and then tested—with RENT and Doubt: A Parable set as deliberate counterpoints—along with works that measure the California dream against questions of faith, community, and survival, he celebrates the power of storytelling and theatre’s enduring transformative magic.

Come and join us for one of our most popular annual events—our catered luncheon under the oaks, featuring delicious picnic fare in addition to wine and other beverages. Plan now to come out to greet your friends, meet some of our course presenters, and learn what VISTAS has in store for you in the 2026 fall semester. Everyone is welcome! Bring your friends to introduce them to VISTAS. The picnic is the perfect time to get a taste of what VISTAS has to offer!

Propositions on the Fall 2026 California Ballot

Three Wednesdays: Sept. 23, Sept. 30, and Oct. 7 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price $60

Presented by Ted Anagnoson
Want to tax billionaires? You’ll have your chance on this fall’s ballot, where Prop. 40 will levy a 5% tax on billionaires’ assets if they were CA residents as of 1/1/26. Or perhaps you would like to fund immunology research by borrowing $8 billion, on a bond issue. You can vote on whether to have more thorough audits of any state program funded by a proposition (more paperwork?)—oh yes, it would also undermine the proposed billionaire tax. Another proposition explicitly undermines that tax: Prop. 42 is funded by wealthy business moguls and has a poison pill that bars taxes that apply retroactively. And as if all of this weren’t complicated enough, Prop. 4 would lift the ban on public campaign financing at the local government level. Another proposition would reform the recall. And to top it off, a proposition would require voter ID—if you vote by mail, you’d need to provide the last four digits of a unique number on your ID. In these three sessions we’ll try to sort all of this out.

Propositions on the Fall 2026 California Ballot

Three Wednesdays: Sept. 23, Sept. 30, and Oct. 7 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price $60

Presented by Ted Anagnoson
Want to tax billionaires? You’ll have your chance on this fall’s ballot, where Prop. 40 will levy a 5% tax on billionaires’ assets if they were CA residents as of 1/1/26. Or perhaps you would like to fund immunology research by borrowing $8 billion, on a bond issue. You can vote on whether to have more thorough audits of any state program funded by a proposition (more paperwork?)—oh yes, it would also undermine the proposed billionaire tax. Another proposition explicitly undermines that tax: Prop. 42 is funded by wealthy business moguls and has a poison pill that bars taxes that apply retroactively. And as if all of this weren’t complicated enough, Prop. 4 would lift the ban on public campaign financing at the local government level. Another proposition would reform the recall. And to top it off, a proposition would require voter ID—if you vote by mail, you’d need to provide the last four digits of a unique number on your ID. In these three sessions we’ll try to sort all of this out.

From Idea to Icon: The Untold Story of the Barcode

One Monday: September 28 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Paul McEnroe
The Barcode has become one of the world’s most essential yet nearly unnoticed technologies, used billions of times daily in manufacturing, shipping, warehouses, and retail stores worldwide. Paul McEnroe and his IBM team created the Barcode, secured its adoption as an international standard, and spent nearly a decade overcoming technical, political, and industrial resistance to establish it globally. In his presentation, Paul will explain how the idea originated, how his team developed new communications and magnetic technologies that were required to support it, and how they addressed the challenges posed by unions and state legislatures. Paul also provides a rare insight into the personalities and organization of IBM, one of the world’s leading companies in the 20th century. All of these stories are featured in his book, The Barcode.

From Idea to Icon: The Untold Story of the Barcode

One Monday: September 28 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Paul McEnroe
The Barcode has become one of the world’s most essential yet nearly unnoticed technologies, used billions of times daily in manufacturing, shipping, warehouses, and retail stores worldwide. Paul McEnroe and his IBM team created the Barcode, secured its adoption as an international standard, and spent nearly a decade overcoming technical, political, and industrial resistance to establish it globally. In his presentation, Paul will explain how the idea originated, how his team developed new communications and magnetic technologies that were required to support it, and how they addressed the challenges posed by unions and state legislatures. Paul also provides a rare insight into the personalities and organization of IBM, one of the world’s leading companies in the 20th century. All of these stories are featured in his book, The Barcode.

Propositions on the Fall 2026 California Ballot

Three Wednesdays: Sept. 23, Sept. 30, and Oct. 7 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price $60

Presented by Ted Anagnoson
Want to tax billionaires? You’ll have your chance on this fall’s ballot, where Prop. 40 will levy a 5% tax on billionaires’ assets if they were CA residents as of 1/1/26. Or perhaps you would like to fund immunology research by borrowing $8 billion, on a bond issue. You can vote on whether to have more thorough audits of any state program funded by a proposition (more paperwork?)—oh yes, it would also undermine the proposed billionaire tax. Another proposition explicitly undermines that tax: Prop. 42 is funded by wealthy business moguls and has a poison pill that bars taxes that apply retroactively. And as if all of this weren’t complicated enough, Prop. 4 would lift the ban on public campaign financing at the local government level. Another proposition would reform the recall. And to top it off, a proposition would require voter ID—if you vote by mail, you’d need to provide the last four digits of a unique number on your ID. In these three sessions we’ll try to sort all of this out.

Propositions on the Fall 2026 California Ballot

Three Wednesdays: Sept. 23, Sept. 30, and Oct. 7 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price $60

Presented by Ted Anagnoson
Want to tax billionaires? You’ll have your chance on this fall’s ballot, where Prop. 40 will levy a 5% tax on billionaires’ assets if they were CA residents as of 1/1/26. Or perhaps you would like to fund immunology research by borrowing $8 billion, on a bond issue. You can vote on whether to have more thorough audits of any state program funded by a proposition (more paperwork?)—oh yes, it would also undermine the proposed billionaire tax. Another proposition explicitly undermines that tax: Prop. 42 is funded by wealthy business moguls and has a poison pill that bars taxes that apply retroactively. And as if all of this weren’t complicated enough, Prop. 4 would lift the ban on public campaign financing at the local government level. Another proposition would reform the recall. And to top it off, a proposition would require voter ID—if you vote by mail, you’d need to provide the last four digits of a unique number on your ID. In these three sessions we’ll try to sort all of this out.

Bellosguardo: A Legendary Estate and the Family That Built It

One Monday: October 5 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Brian Sarvis, Dennis Whelan, Thomas Reynolds
Bellosguardo, the fabled estate overlooking Santa Barbara’s East Beach, has always existed beyond public view—until now. The 30,000-square-foot Normandy-style chateau was built during the Depression by the heirs of copper king William Andrews Clark, one of the wealthiest men in America. Clark’s widow, Anna, and her daughter Huguette last visited in 1953. The house sat dark, but fully furnished, staffed, and maintained, for 70 years until Huguette’s death two weeks shy of her 105th birthday. This presentation focuses on the fascinating backstory of the Clark family. It also highlights the career of architect Reginald Johnson and the construction of the chateau. It explores the mysterious life of Huguette Clark, including her choice to live for her final 20 years in a hospital room, even though she was not ill. Huguette Clark bequeathed the property to the Bellosguardo Foundation, which now offers tours and events.

Bellosguardo: A Legendary Estate and the Family That Built It

One Monday: October 5 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Brian Sarvis, Dennis Whelan, Thomas Reynolds
Bellosguardo, the fabled estate overlooking Santa Barbara’s East Beach, has always existed beyond public view—until now. The 30,000-square-foot Normandy-style chateau was built during the Depression by the heirs of copper king William Andrews Clark, one of the wealthiest men in America. Clark’s widow, Anna, and her daughter Huguette last visited in 1953. The house sat dark, but fully furnished, staffed, and maintained, for 70 years until Huguette’s death two weeks shy of her 105th birthday. This presentation focuses on the fascinating backstory of the Clark family. It also highlights the career of architect Reginald Johnson and the construction of the chateau. It explores the mysterious life of Huguette Clark, including her choice to live for her final 20 years in a hospital room, even though she was not ill. Huguette Clark bequeathed the property to the Bellosguardo Foundation, which now offers tours and events.

Propositions on the Fall 2026 California Ballot

Three Wednesdays: Sept. 23, Sept. 30, and Oct. 7 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price $60

Presented by Ted Anagnoson
Want to tax billionaires? You’ll have your chance on this fall’s ballot, where Prop. 40 will levy a 5% tax on billionaires’ assets if they were CA residents as of 1/1/26. Or perhaps you would like to fund immunology research by borrowing $8 billion, on a bond issue. You can vote on whether to have more thorough audits of any state program funded by a proposition (more paperwork?)—oh yes, it would also undermine the proposed billionaire tax. Another proposition explicitly undermines that tax: Prop. 42 is funded by wealthy business moguls and has a poison pill that bars taxes that apply retroactively. And as if all of this weren’t complicated enough, Prop. 4 would lift the ban on public campaign financing at the local government level. Another proposition would reform the recall. And to top it off, a proposition would require voter ID—if you vote by mail, you’d need to provide the last four digits of a unique number on your ID. In these three sessions we’ll try to sort all of this out.

Propositions on the Fall 2026 California Ballot

Three Wednesdays: Sept. 23, Sept. 30, and Oct. 7 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price $60

Presented by Ted Anagnoson
Want to tax billionaires? You’ll have your chance on this fall’s ballot, where Prop. 40 will levy a 5% tax on billionaires’ assets if they were CA residents as of 1/1/26. Or perhaps you would like to fund immunology research by borrowing $8 billion, on a bond issue. You can vote on whether to have more thorough audits of any state program funded by a proposition (more paperwork?)—oh yes, it would also undermine the proposed billionaire tax. Another proposition explicitly undermines that tax: Prop. 42 is funded by wealthy business moguls and has a poison pill that bars taxes that apply retroactively. And as if all of this weren’t complicated enough, Prop. 4 would lift the ban on public campaign financing at the local government level. Another proposition would reform the recall. And to top it off, a proposition would require voter ID—if you vote by mail, you’d need to provide the last four digits of a unique number on your ID. In these three sessions we’ll try to sort all of this out.

Reshaping America: Unbridled Supermajority Power in SCOTUS’s 2025–26 Term

Two Mondays: October 12 and 19 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price: $45

Presented by Stan Roden and Brad Ginder
In its 2025–2026 term, the Supreme Court significantly used its supermajority to advance a conservative judicial philosophy via the opaque “shadow docket” as well as written decisions on a variety of key issues, such as democracy (gerrymandering, mail-in ballots, and campaign finance), power of the presidency, the environment, guns, free speech and press, the status of racial justice, immigration, religion, LGBT rights, and more. In this two-part course, Brad and Stan will provide a broad historical arc, tracing how current outcomes reflect long-developing jurisprudential trends, institutional shifts by the Roberts Court, dissenting opinions—and what they signal about the future of American law.

Reshaping America: Unbridled Supermajority Power in SCOTUS’s 2025–26 Term

Two Mondays: October 12 and 19 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price: $45

Presented by Stan Roden and Brad Ginder
In its 2025–2026 term, the Supreme Court significantly used its supermajority to advance a conservative judicial philosophy via the opaque “shadow docket” as well as written decisions on a variety of key issues, such as democracy (gerrymandering, mail-in ballots, and campaign finance), power of the presidency, the environment, guns, free speech and press, the status of racial justice, immigration, religion, LGBT rights, and more. In this two-part course, Brad and Stan will provide a broad historical arc, tracing how current outcomes reflect long-developing jurisprudential trends, institutional shifts by the Roberts Court, dissenting opinions—and what they signal about the future of American law.

How We Got Here: Top Journalists on the Crisis and Future of Reporting the News

One Friday: October 16 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Fe Bland Forum Auditorium, S. B. City College | West Campus, 721 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Coordinated by Jack Friedlander
With Jeff Greenfield, Jerry Roberts, Josh Molina, and Martin Kasindorf
A panel of highly accomplished news journalists will share their experiences, insights, critiques, and forecasts on reporting the news. Jeff Greenfield, a former senior analyst for CNN and a political/media analyst for CBS News and ABC News, will provide a context for understanding today’s news environment. His discussion of the news will draw from his career in cable and traditional broadcast stations. Jerry Roberts will discuss the news from his experiences in traditional newspapers and new media. He is former managing editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, has authored a biography of the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, and is co-founder of the Santa Barbara Newsmakers news site. Josh Molina is the editor of the Santa Barbara News-Press, a nonprofit publication. He is the former City Hall reporter for San Jose Mercury News and worked as the South County Editor at Noozhawk. He also teaches journalism at Santa Barbara City College. Martin Kasindorf will provide a perspective of the news from his experiences as chief correspondent in LA for Newsweek, USA Today, and Newsday, as well as Newsday’s White House correspondent. Additionally, he was the London and New York bureau chief for Newsweek. Jack Friedlander, former Executive VP for Educational Programs at SBCC, will moderate the discussion.

How We Got Here: Top Journalists on the Crisis and Future of Reporting the News

One Friday: October 16 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Fe Bland Forum Auditorium, S. B. City College | West Campus, 721 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Coordinated by Jack Friedlander
With Jeff Greenfield, Jerry Roberts, Josh Molina, and Martin Kasindorf
A panel of highly accomplished news journalists will share their experiences, insights, critiques, and forecasts on reporting the news. Jeff Greenfield, a former senior analyst for CNN and a political/media analyst for CBS News and ABC News, will provide a context for understanding today’s news environment. His discussion of the news will draw from his career in cable and traditional broadcast stations. Jerry Roberts will discuss the news from his experiences in traditional newspapers and new media. He is former managing editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, has authored a biography of the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, and is co-founder of the Santa Barbara Newsmakers news site. Josh Molina is the editor of the Santa Barbara News-Press, a nonprofit publication. He is the former City Hall reporter for San Jose Mercury News and worked as the South County Editor at Noozhawk. He also teaches journalism at Santa Barbara City College. Martin Kasindorf will provide a perspective of the news from his experiences as chief correspondent in LA for Newsweek, USA Today, and Newsday, as well as Newsday’s White House correspondent. Additionally, he was the London and New York bureau chief for Newsweek. Jack Friedlander, former Executive VP for Educational Programs at SBCC, will moderate the discussion.

Reshaping America: Unbridled Supermajority Power in SCOTUS’s 2025–26 Term

Two Mondays: October 12 and 19 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price: $45

Presented by Stan Roden and Brad Ginder
In its 2025–2026 term, the Supreme Court significantly used its supermajority to advance a conservative judicial philosophy via the opaque “shadow docket” as well as written decisions on a variety of key issues, such as democracy (gerrymandering, mail-in ballots, and campaign finance), power of the presidency, the environment, guns, free speech and press, the status of racial justice, immigration, religion, LGBT rights, and more. In this two-part course, Brad and Stan will provide a broad historical arc, tracing how current outcomes reflect long-developing jurisprudential trends, institutional shifts by the Roberts Court, dissenting opinions—and what they signal about the future of American law.

Reshaping America: Unbridled Supermajority Power in SCOTUS’s 2025–26 Term

Two Mondays: October 12 and 19 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price: $45

Presented by Stan Roden and Brad Ginder
In its 2025–2026 term, the Supreme Court significantly used its supermajority to advance a conservative judicial philosophy via the opaque “shadow docket” as well as written decisions on a variety of key issues, such as democracy (gerrymandering, mail-in ballots, and campaign finance), power of the presidency, the environment, guns, free speech and press, the status of racial justice, immigration, religion, LGBT rights, and more. In this two-part course, Brad and Stan will provide a broad historical arc, tracing how current outcomes reflect long-developing jurisprudential trends, institutional shifts by the Roberts Court, dissenting opinions—and what they signal about the future of American law.

Life Set to Music: A Preview of Opera Santa Barbara’s New Season

One Wednesday: October 21 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Weinman Hall, Music Academy of the West | 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Bob Weinman
It is often said that operas are always about a tenor and a soprano in love, with a baritone trying to break them up. This holds for the Opera Santa Barbara 2026–27 season! In the first opera, Rigoletto, Gilda is in love with the Duke of Mantua, and Rigoletto, her father, does everything he can to let her know what a monster the Duke is. In The Barber of Seville, Rosina is in love with the young Count Almaviva but she is Don Bartolo’s ward and he plans to marry her himself. In the third, a new and much less known opera, Riders of the Purple Sage, it is a little more complicated—so you will just have to sign up for the class! As always, this class will include video selections from all three operas, which will help you get the most out of their performances in the Lobero Theater.

Life Set to Music: A Preview of Opera Santa Barbara’s New Season

One Wednesday: October 21 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Weinman Hall, Music Academy of the West | 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Bob Weinman
It is often said that operas are always about a tenor and a soprano in love, with a baritone trying to break them up. This holds for the Opera Santa Barbara 2026–27 season! In the first opera, Rigoletto, Gilda is in love with the Duke of Mantua, and Rigoletto, her father, does everything he can to let her know what a monster the Duke is. In The Barber of Seville, Rosina is in love with the young Count Almaviva but she is Don Bartolo’s ward and he plans to marry her himself. In the third, a new and much less known opera, Riders of the Purple Sage, it is a little more complicated—so you will just have to sign up for the class! As always, this class will include video selections from all three operas, which will help you get the most out of their performances in the Lobero Theater.

One Monday: October 26 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Don Patterson
Artificial intelligence is advancing extremely fast, and this course shows you what the most cutting-edge tools today are doing, spanning research labs, professional studios, and consumer apps. We’ll take a case-study approach, beginning with collaborative research at UC Irvine using AI to build personalized educational videos. From there, we’ll explore the creative frontier through live demonstrations of tools that generate lifelike video avatars, compose original music, produce short films, and act as autonomous agents on your behalf. Along the way, we’ll consider what these capabilities mean for learning, creativity, epistemology, and everyday life and where healthy skepticism belongs. No technical background is required, just curiosity. Attendees are welcome to bring their own examples, concerns, and hopes.

One Monday: October 26 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Don Patterson
Artificial intelligence is advancing extremely fast, and this course shows you what the most cutting-edge tools today are doing, spanning research labs, professional studios, and consumer apps. We’ll take a case-study approach, beginning with collaborative research at UC Irvine using AI to build personalized educational videos. From there, we’ll explore the creative frontier through live demonstrations of tools that generate lifelike video avatars, compose original music, produce short films, and act as autonomous agents on your behalf. Along the way, we’ll consider what these capabilities mean for learning, creativity, epistemology, and everyday life and where healthy skepticism belongs. No technical background is required, just curiosity. Attendees are welcome to bring their own examples, concerns, and hopes.

Fly Me to the Moon: Fire Arrows, Sputnik, Apollo 11, Artemis II, and a Permanent Lunar Presence

One Wednesday: November 4 |1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Kent Wood
An insider describes his rocket propulsion career through events leading to the 1969 Apollo Moon landing and the Artemis Moon flyby 55 years later. Topics of discussion will include: What does it take to travel beyond the Earth? How did overcoming gravity evolve? Why is the Moon important? What was the Cold War space race about? Why was travel to the Moon on hold for 55 years? Why is the race with China to establish a permanent Moon presence now hotter than ever?

Fly Me to the Moon: Fire Arrows, Sputnik, Apollo 11, Artemis II, and a Permanent Lunar Presence

One Wednesday: November 4 |1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Kent Wood
An insider describes his rocket propulsion career through events leading to the 1969 Apollo Moon landing and the Artemis Moon flyby 55 years later. Topics of discussion will include: What does it take to travel beyond the Earth? How did overcoming gravity evolve? Why is the Moon important? What was the Cold War space race about? Why was travel to the Moon on hold for 55 years? Why is the race with China to establish a permanent Moon presence now hotter than ever?

Santa Barbara Architecture: From Adobes to Victorian, Spanish Colonial Revival, and Contemporary

Two Thursdays: November 5 and 12 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price: $45

Presented by Rose Thomas
Santa Barbara has an abundance of buildings that give our community its distinctive character, as well as stories about them. While the city is widely known for and proud of its Spanish Revival architecture, it is not without buildings and residences that vary from this style. Join Rose for a general overview of historic architecture that can be found in and around town, including structures that came before and examples that followed after the white stucco walls and red tile roofs. Session one will consider Adobes, Victorians, Craftsman style, and residential Bungalows. Session two addresses Mission Revival, Spanish Revival, and other revival styles. Lastly, we will explore Mid- Century, Modern, and finally the Contemporary architecture found hidden in our community.

Santa Barbara Architecture: From Adobes to Victorian, Spanish Colonial Revival, and Contemporary

Two Thursdays: November 5 and 12 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price: $45

Presented by Rose Thomas
Santa Barbara has an abundance of buildings that give our community its distinctive character, as well as stories about them. While the city is widely known for and proud of its Spanish Revival architecture, it is not without buildings and residences that vary from this style. Join Rose for a general overview of historic architecture that can be found in and around town, including structures that came before and examples that followed after the white stucco walls and red tile roofs. Session one will consider Adobes, Victorians, Craftsman style, and residential Bungalows. Session two addresses Mission Revival, Spanish Revival, and other revival styles. Lastly, we will explore Mid- Century, Modern, and finally the Contemporary architecture found hidden in our community.

Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Quartet: A Participatory Study

Four Fridays: Nov. 6, Nov. 20, Dec. 4, Dec. 18 |10:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS members only: $25 inclusive. Enrollment limited to 20

Coordinated by Elayne Klasson
Published between 2011 and 2015, the books comprising the Quartet have been widely recognized as great literature. In addition to their literary value, they give important historical and economic views of Post–World War II Italy. Ferrante has been called one of today’s most influential novelists. In July of 2024, the first book of the Quartet, My Brilliant Friend, was named by the N.Y. Times as the best book of the 21st century. Our class will be held book-group style, with everyone contributing, but Dr. Klasson will add literary, psychological, and historical perspective. There will be four 1.5-hour sessions—each devoted to one of the books. The discussion will be enhanced if participants have read the Quartet and/or seen the HBO series that was based on it.

One Thursday: October 29 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Robert Winder
What do major studio production and post-production departments actually do in creating music, TV, and film sound? How have the equipment and techniques used in recording evolved from the 1877 Edison phonograph to today’s iPad? In an interesting and entertaining presentation, Robert M. Winder, whose 45-year career spans the motion picture, television, and recording studio industries, will explain complex technologies in a way that’s easy to understand, including the sound recording equipment and techniques used in the earliest acoustical era, the improvements made in music records and film sound in the 1920s, and the remarkable transition to magnetic tape after World War II. He will finish up with a look at modern digital recording.

One Thursday: October 29 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Robert Winder
What do major studio production and post-production departments actually do in creating music, TV, and film sound? How have the equipment and techniques used in recording evolved from the 1877 Edison phonograph to today’s iPad? In an interesting and entertaining presentation, Robert M. Winder, whose 45-year career spans the motion picture, television, and recording studio industries, will explain complex technologies in a way that’s easy to understand, including the sound recording equipment and techniques used in the earliest acoustical era, the improvements made in music records and film sound in the 1920s, and the remarkable transition to magnetic tape after World War II. He will finish up with a look at modern digital recording.

Santa Barbara Architecture: From Adobes to Victorian, Spanish Colonial Revival, and Contemporary

Two Thursdays: November 5 and 12 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price: $45

Presented by Rose Thomas
Santa Barbara has an abundance of buildings that give our community its distinctive character, as well as stories about them. While the city is widely known for and proud of its Spanish Revival architecture, it is not without buildings and residences that vary from this style. Join Rose for a general overview of historic architecture that can be found in and around town, including structures that came before and examples that followed after the white stucco walls and red tile roofs. Session one will consider Adobes, Victorians, Craftsman style, and residential Bungalows. Session two addresses Mission Revival, Spanish Revival, and other revival styles. Lastly, we will explore Mid- Century, Modern, and finally the Contemporary architecture found hidden in our community.

Santa Barbara Architecture: From Adobes to Victorian, Spanish Colonial Revival, and Contemporary

Two Thursdays: November 5 and 12 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price: $45

Presented by Rose Thomas
Santa Barbara has an abundance of buildings that give our community its distinctive character, as well as stories about them. While the city is widely known for and proud of its Spanish Revival architecture, it is not without buildings and residences that vary from this style. Join Rose for a general overview of historic architecture that can be found in and around town, including structures that came before and examples that followed after the white stucco walls and red tile roofs. Session one will consider Adobes, Victorians, Craftsman style, and residential Bungalows. Session two addresses Mission Revival, Spanish Revival, and other revival styles. Lastly, we will explore Mid- Century, Modern, and finally the Contemporary architecture found hidden in our community.

Uptown, Downtown: American Art for a New Century, 1890–1920

One Monday: November 16 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Lori Windsor Mohr
At the turn of the twentieth century, a group of artists in New York City changed the course of American art by rejecting polished, idealized art for paintings that depicted ordinary people grappling with the dizzying changes wrought by industrialization and rapid urbanization. As former newspaper illustrators, Robert Henri, George Bellows, William Glackens, George Luks, John Sloan, and Everett Shinn found the pulse of a nation in its city streets, parks, department stores, and entertainment venues—from vaudeville to opera. Theirs were realistic scenes of a world in transition—working-class and immigrant life alongside middle-class leisure in a city transformed by technology. Critics sneered at the very idea that such subject matter would be considered worthy of art, giving the movement its name, the Ashcan School. Yet these “Apostles of Ugliness” created the first authentically American urban art, capturing the energy of a city racing toward the future, and opening the door to abstract art and the American modernism that would follow.

Uptown, Downtown: American Art for a New Century, 1890–1920

One Monday: November 16 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30

Presented by Lori Windsor Mohr
At the turn of the twentieth century, a group of artists in New York City changed the course of American art by rejecting polished, idealized art for paintings that depicted ordinary people grappling with the dizzying changes wrought by industrialization and rapid urbanization. As former newspaper illustrators, Robert Henri, George Bellows, William Glackens, George Luks, John Sloan, and Everett Shinn found the pulse of a nation in its city streets, parks, department stores, and entertainment venues—from vaudeville to opera. Theirs were realistic scenes of a world in transition—working-class and immigrant life alongside middle-class leisure in a city transformed by technology. Critics sneered at the very idea that such subject matter would be considered worthy of art, giving the movement its name, the Ashcan School. Yet these “Apostles of Ugliness” created the first authentically American urban art, capturing the energy of a city racing toward the future, and opening the door to abstract art and the American modernism that would follow.

The Book of Job: Or, Why Bad Things Happen to Good People

Two Tuesdays: Nov. 17 and 24 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Valle Verde Theater | 900 Calle De Los Amigos, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price $45

Presented by Norm Cohen
Today’s world is full of events that prompt us to throw up our hands and ask, “How can God allow such terrible things to happen to good people?” Scholars, theologians, philosophers, and writers have been addressing this enigma from before Biblical times down to the present. This presentation will examine the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament book of Job—one of the earliest writings to wrestle with the question (and most unsatisfactorily, judging by the number of books and articles that examine that book’s perspective)—and survey how some other thinkers, from ancient times to modern, have offered their own answers. Our discussion will unavoidably lead to questions about the nature of God and what we expect of him—but from a philosophical rather than religious perspective.

The Book of Job: Or, Why Bad Things Happen to Good People

Two Tuesdays: Nov. 17 and 24 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Valle Verde Theater | 900 Calle De Los Amigos, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price $45

Presented by Norm Cohen
Today’s world is full of events that prompt us to throw up our hands and ask, “How can God allow such terrible things to happen to good people?” Scholars, theologians, philosophers, and writers have been addressing this enigma from before Biblical times down to the present. This presentation will examine the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament book of Job—one of the earliest writings to wrestle with the question (and most unsatisfactorily, judging by the number of books and articles that examine that book’s perspective)—and survey how some other thinkers, from ancient times to modern, have offered their own answers. Our discussion will unavoidably lead to questions about the nature of God and what we expect of him—but from a philosophical rather than religious perspective.

The Book of Job: Or, Why Bad Things Happen to Good People

Two Tuesdays: Nov. 17 and 24 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Valle Verde Theater | 900 Calle De Los Amigos, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price $45

Presented by Norm Cohen
Today’s world is full of events that prompt us to throw up our hands and ask, “How can God allow such terrible things to happen to good people?” Scholars, theologians, philosophers, and writers have been addressing this enigma from before Biblical times down to the present. This presentation will examine the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament book of Job—one of the earliest writings to wrestle with the question (and most unsatisfactorily, judging by the number of books and articles that examine that book’s perspective)—and survey how some other thinkers, from ancient times to modern, have offered their own answers. Our discussion will unavoidably lead to questions about the nature of God and what we expect of him—but from a philosophical rather than religious perspective.

The Book of Job: Or, Why Bad Things Happen to Good People

Two Tuesdays: Nov. 17 and 24 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Valle Verde Theater | 900 Calle De Los Amigos, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price $45

Presented by Norm Cohen
Today’s world is full of events that prompt us to throw up our hands and ask, “How can God allow such terrible things to happen to good people?” Scholars, theologians, philosophers, and writers have been addressing this enigma from before Biblical times down to the present. This presentation will examine the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament book of Job—one of the earliest writings to wrestle with the question (and most unsatisfactorily, judging by the number of books and articles that examine that book’s perspective)—and survey how some other thinkers, from ancient times to modern, have offered their own answers. Our discussion will unavoidably lead to questions about the nature of God and what we expect of him—but from a philosophical rather than religious perspective.

Learning from German History: From Frederick the Great to the Holocaust and Beyond

Three Mondays: Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec. 14 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price: $60

Presented by Harold Marcuse
Choosing “Learning” instead of “Lessons” in the title indicates a focus on the process of making meaning from historical events. In the first session we will look at macrohistorical trajectories of Germany from Napoleon’s conquest through unification and industrialization to World War I. What were the crucial causes of the various turning points where Germany’s history “failed to turn”? In the second session we will examine how some events of 20th century German history crystallized into canonical “lessons,” and how those lessons have evolved over time. In the third session we will trace the trajectories of post–World War II memories of the Nazi genocide. How did the first recollections of concentration camps emerge, and how have they evolved over time?

Learning from German History: From Frederick the Great to the Holocaust and Beyond

Three Mondays: Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec. 14 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price: $60

Presented by Harold Marcuse
Choosing “Learning” instead of “Lessons” in the title indicates a focus on the process of making meaning from historical events. In the first session we will look at macrohistorical trajectories of Germany from Napoleon’s conquest through unification and industrialization to World War I. What were the crucial causes of the various turning points where Germany’s history “failed to turn”? In the second session we will examine how some events of 20th century German history crystallized into canonical “lessons,” and how those lessons have evolved over time. In the third session we will trace the trajectories of post–World War II memories of the Nazi genocide. How did the first recollections of concentration camps emerge, and how have they evolved over time?

Alexander the Great: Conquests and Consequences

Two Wednesdays: December 2 and 9 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price $45

Presented by David DeSelm
In 334 BCE, upon the assassination of King Philip II of Macedon, on the Greek peninsula, his son Alexander dedicated himself to confronting a powerful Persian Empire and led a devoted army into one of the most famous conquests of all time. This seminar will follow Alexander—brave, intelligent, highly educated, and innovative—as he consolidates control in Greece, crosses the Hellespont from Greece into Asia Minor, fights multiple battles against the Persian king Darius III, captures cities along the Mediterranean, takes over the entire land of Egypt, conquers Mesopotamia, and leads his undefeated army all the way to India. In the process, we will evaluate the resulting consequences that led to Alexander’s introduction of Greek “Hellenistic” culture across the Middle East and his historic title, “Alexander the Great.”

Alexander the Great: Conquests and Consequences

Two Wednesdays: December 2 and 9 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price $45

Presented by David DeSelm
In 334 BCE, upon the assassination of King Philip II of Macedon, on the Greek peninsula, his son Alexander dedicated himself to confronting a powerful Persian Empire and led a devoted army into one of the most famous conquests of all time. This seminar will follow Alexander—brave, intelligent, highly educated, and innovative—as he consolidates control in Greece, crosses the Hellespont from Greece into Asia Minor, fights multiple battles against the Persian king Darius III, captures cities along the Mediterranean, takes over the entire land of Egypt, conquers Mesopotamia, and leads his undefeated army all the way to India. In the process, we will evaluate the resulting consequences that led to Alexander’s introduction of Greek “Hellenistic” culture across the Middle East and his historic title, “Alexander the Great.”

Learning from German History: From Frederick the Great to the Holocaust and Beyond

Three Mondays: Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec. 14 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price: $60

Presented by Harold Marcuse
Choosing “Learning” instead of “Lessons” in the title indicates a focus on the process of making meaning from historical events. In the first session we will look at macrohistorical trajectories of Germany from Napoleon’s conquest through unification and industrialization to World War I. What were the crucial causes of the various turning points where Germany’s history “failed to turn”? In the second session we will examine how some events of 20th century German history crystallized into canonical “lessons,” and how those lessons have evolved over time. In the third session we will trace the trajectories of post–World War II memories of the Nazi genocide. How did the first recollections of concentration camps emerge, and how have they evolved over time?

Learning from German History: From Frederick the Great to the Holocaust and Beyond

Three Mondays: Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec. 14 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price: $60

Presented by Harold Marcuse
Choosing “Learning” instead of “Lessons” in the title indicates a focus on the process of making meaning from historical events. In the first session we will look at macrohistorical trajectories of Germany from Napoleon’s conquest through unification and industrialization to World War I. What were the crucial causes of the various turning points where Germany’s history “failed to turn”? In the second session we will examine how some events of 20th century German history crystallized into canonical “lessons,” and how those lessons have evolved over time. In the third session we will trace the trajectories of post–World War II memories of the Nazi genocide. How did the first recollections of concentration camps emerge, and how have they evolved over time?

Alexander the Great: Conquests and Consequences

Two Wednesdays: December 2 and 9 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price $45

Presented by David DeSelm
In 334 BCE, upon the assassination of King Philip II of Macedon, on the Greek peninsula, his son Alexander dedicated himself to confronting a powerful Persian Empire and led a devoted army into one of the most famous conquests of all time. This seminar will follow Alexander—brave, intelligent, highly educated, and innovative—as he consolidates control in Greece, crosses the Hellespont from Greece into Asia Minor, fights multiple battles against the Persian king Darius III, captures cities along the Mediterranean, takes over the entire land of Egypt, conquers Mesopotamia, and leads his undefeated army all the way to India. In the process, we will evaluate the resulting consequences that led to Alexander’s introduction of Greek “Hellenistic” culture across the Middle East and his historic title, “Alexander the Great.”

Alexander the Great: Conquests and Consequences

Two Wednesdays: December 2 and 9 | 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price $45

Presented by David DeSelm
In 334 BCE, upon the assassination of King Philip II of Macedon, on the Greek peninsula, his son Alexander dedicated himself to confronting a powerful Persian Empire and led a devoted army into one of the most famous conquests of all time. This seminar will follow Alexander—brave, intelligent, highly educated, and innovative—as he consolidates control in Greece, crosses the Hellespont from Greece into Asia Minor, fights multiple battles against the Persian king Darius III, captures cities along the Mediterranean, takes over the entire land of Egypt, conquers Mesopotamia, and leads his undefeated army all the way to India. In the process, we will evaluate the resulting consequences that led to Alexander’s introduction of Greek “Hellenistic” culture across the Middle East and his historic title, “Alexander the Great.”

Learning from German History: From Frederick the Great to the Holocaust and Beyond

Three Mondays: Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec. 14 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price: $60

Presented by Harold Marcuse
Choosing “Learning” instead of “Lessons” in the title indicates a focus on the process of making meaning from historical events. In the first session we will look at macrohistorical trajectories of Germany from Napoleon’s conquest through unification and industrialization to World War I. What were the crucial causes of the various turning points where Germany’s history “failed to turn”? In the second session we will examine how some events of 20th century German history crystallized into canonical “lessons,” and how those lessons have evolved over time. In the third session we will trace the trajectories of post–World War II memories of the Nazi genocide. How did the first recollections of concentration camps emerge, and how have they evolved over time?

Learning from German History: From Frederick the Great to the Holocaust and Beyond

Three Mondays: Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec. 14 | 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church | 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price: $60

Presented by Harold Marcuse
Choosing “Learning” instead of “Lessons” in the title indicates a focus on the process of making meaning from historical events. In the first session we will look at macrohistorical trajectories of Germany from Napoleon’s conquest through unification and industrialization to World War I. What were the crucial causes of the various turning points where Germany’s history “failed to turn”? In the second session we will examine how some events of 20th century German history crystallized into canonical “lessons,” and how those lessons have evolved over time. In the third session we will trace the trajectories of post–World War II memories of the Nazi genocide. How did the first recollections of concentration camps emerge, and how have they evolved over time?