As a precaution to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, the Adult Education Seminars Program’s Fall 2020 term will continue to be held virtually. Virtual seminars meet via Zoom video conference and use email and Google Drive folders to share resources and communicate with instructors and participants. For more information about the Newberry’s virtual seminars and these tools, including a Zoom tutorial, please see our Virtual Seminars FAQ page. If you have questions about online learning, please feel free to reach out to seminars@newberry.org.

For more information about the Newberry’s response to COVID-19 please visit www.newberry.org/covid19.

Seminar Description

From Ellsworth Kelly casting dice to determine the colors of his paintings to John Cage using the I Ching to compose his music, chance has often been a catalyst for creative activity. In this seminar, we discuss “aleatoric” art, or art created with some element of chance or randomness (the word derives from the Latin word for dice). Following André Breton’s surrealist strategies, participants will also attempt to sketch out a blueprint for living a more aleatoric life, injected with chance, chaos, and randomness.

One session. Registration – $40

Harrison Sherrod manages a film production company by day and teaches seminars at the Newberry by night. He has led courses on everything from metaphysical detectives and con games to Star Wars and Marxism.

Materials List

Required:

• A selection of shorter materials distributed by the instructor.

Recommended:

• Leonard Mlodinow, The Drunkard's Walk. Vintage, 2009. ISBN: 978-0307275172.

First Reading:

• Please read the excerpts sent by the instructor via email. While not required, interested participants can read The Drunkard's Walk for a deeper dive into the roll of randomness in the everyday.

Registration Information

Online registration opens at 9 am (CDT) on Tuesday, September 1st.

Please note: Due to COVID-19, the Adult Education Seminars staff is working remotely and will be unable to process registration over the phone. For more information about registration, including a guide to online registration, see our Registration Information page. Questions? Please contact seminars program staff via email at seminars@newberry.org.

We offer a 10% discount to members, seniors, and students.

This seminar has reached capacity. Please email seminars@newberry.org to be added to the wait list.

This seminar is part of the Newberry’s Adult Education Seminars Program. Learn more about registering for a seminar, program policies, or teaching a seminar.