The realm of contemporary art is vibrant and inspiring, but often equally as opaque and confounding. this four-week course will offer art historical, social and biographical entry points to demystify contemporary art, providing different ways of reading, seeing, and talking about contemporary art. Along with slide lecture and classroom discussion, the course offers firsthand engagement with BAMPFA’s MATRIX 50 exhibition — which surveys a decades of new art — including works that represent major art trends, strategic approaches, aesthetic pleasures, and thorny dialogues.

Faculty Bio

Glen Helfand is an Oakland-based writer, critic, and independent curator. His writing has been published in art and general interest publications. He is a professor in the Graduate Fine Arts program at California College of the Arts.

This is an In-Person-Only Course

• Classes meet in person at BAMPFA, at 2155 Center St, Berkeley
• You must be a current OLLI @Berkeley member to register. Learn about membership, including our fee assistance program.

Schedule Highlights

• Course starts on Thursday, Jan. 21, and ends on Thursday, Feb. 11
• Classes meet for 4 weeks, 2 hours per session (1–3 p.m.)
• All course materials will remain available to view and enjoy in Member Dashboards through Mar. 28