CLL: Community Classes

Autumn 2025 Classes
All Community classes are open to both CLL members and non-members!

These classes do not require a CLL membership to attend; however, they require registration and may have an additional fee when noted in the listings below.

ONGOING CLASSES

Mindfulness Meditation

Every Monday and every Friday, 11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (Zoom)
Cost: Free

Sign-up through the CLL office; the Zoom link will be sent from the facilitator, Regan Burke.

Bridge Group

2nd and 4th Monday of every month, 1:00–4:00 p.m. (In-person)
Cost: Free
This group is currently full. Contact Linda Daly if you are interested in being put on the substitute list.

Fashion Statements in Art with Jeff Nigro

Monday, September 8-October 20
2:30-3:30 (Hybrid)
Cost: $30 for CLL Members, $60 for nonmembers

Throughout history, people have thought of clothing as more than mere protective covering.  This lively gallery walk explores changing modes of dress and personal style as represented in visual art through the ages.  We will see how fashions reflect changing ideas of beauty, taste, social status, eroticism and politics, as well as the remarkable ways in which people have tried to turn themselves into works of art.

September 8: The Art of Dress
September 15: Dress in the Ancient World and the Middle Ages
September 22: No class meeting
September 30: Renaissance Fashion
October 6: Baroque and Rococo Fashion
October 13: Fashion from Romanticism to Impressionism
October 20: Fashion in the Modern World

Jeffrey Nigro has had a professional relationship with the Art Institute of Chicago for over 30 years, including serving as Director of Adult Programs in the Department of Museum Education from 2003 to 2010. Jeff is currently a Research Associate in the Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium and an Adjunct Lecturer in the Department of Interpretation at the Art Institute. Jeff also teaches Adult Education Seminars at the Newberry Library. He is a frequent speaker for the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) and he is a former Regional Coordinator of the Greater Chicago region of JASNA. His essay “Georgian Fangirls: Women and Castrati in Eighteenth-Century London” appears in Women and Music in the Age of Austen, edited by Linda Zionkowski and Miriam Hart (Bucknell University Press, 2023).

Purposeful Retirement Workshop

Second Wednesday of the month
October 8, November 12 and December 10
5:30–7:30 p.m.
Cost: $600 for non-CLL members and $350 for CLL members.

The Center for Life and Learning and the Volunteer Ministry Council at Fourth Church invite you to join a cohort of people who are nearing retirement or have recently retired that would like to collaborate and support each other to rediscover their passions and plan or retool their retirement to combine passions and service for greater impact.
The overall program will include the following elements:

4 Monthly in person workshops and a reconnect 3 months after the program
2 individual coaching sessions with a professional coach
Membership in a small “progress partner group” for accountability and support
Retirement Planning Workbook activities for reflection and discussion
Guest Panel discussion with retirees who will share their retirement experiences

More details about the workshop

Improv

Tuesdays, September 9-November 11
1:00-2:30 pm (In-person, 10 weeks)
Cost: $55 for CLL Members, $70 for non-members

Are you looking for a way to shake up the brain cells a bit? Well, good news! We are offering an improv class that is designed to get you moving and engaging your neural pathways as you learn to let go of your self-consciousness, communicate in new ways, and create interesting characters with your classmates. No prior experience needed.

Ron Tolisano is a Chicago resident who has been involved in the improv community for the past ten years. He has a BA from Western Ill. Univ. and an MSW from Loyola University, Chicago. He has taken classes at Second City and Annoyance Theatre. He currently teaches improvisation at the Chicago Cultural Center and at the Harold Washington Library Center-Chicago Public Library.

Foreign Affairs Perspectives

2nd and 4th Tuesdays
1:00-2:00 p.m. (On Zoom)
Cost: Free
This is a member-led small group discussion based on articles from the magazine Foreign Affairs. Group members are required to subscribe to the magazine. For each discussion, one group member selects an article from the magazine, develops questions about the article, and moderates the discussion. Each member is expected to moderate one or two discussions during each term.

Autumn Meeting Dates:
October 14 and 28
November 11 and 25
December 9

Monthly Book Group

Second Tuesday of the month
2:30-3:30pm (Zoom)
Cost: Free
All are welcome to join us for lively and thought-provoking discussions each month, led by Alan Bath.

Autumn Meeting Dates:
October 14-
November 11-
December 9-

The Great Ideas Men’s Group

Every other Wednesday
10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (In person)
Cost: Free

A discussion group that provides a safe and supportive environment for men to discuss and work through challenges of current topics that are facing the world at large. Before each meeting we will read an article from “Foreign Affairs” magazine and then discuss it as a group.

Autumn Meeting Dates:
October 8 and 22
November 5 and 19
December 5

Beginning Tai Chi

Tuesdays and Thursdays, September 30-October 30
2:00-2:45 p.m. (In Person, 5 weeks)
Cost: $85 CLL Members; $100 Nonmembers (10 class sessions)

Tai Chi is an effective exercise for anyone seeking to enhance balance, strength, and coordination. It consists of a fluid series of postures combined with deep breathing exercises. In this class, beginning students will learn the history and fundamentals of Tai Chi Chuan and will be prepared to join the intermediate class upon completion of the beginner series.

Hau Kum Kneip studied with Chinese Tai Chi masters in Hong Kong, Taiwan, mainland China, and Hawaii beginning in 1978. She has taught Tai Chi Chuan at the CLL since 1995, increasing the balance, strength, and focus of her students.

Midweek Meditation

Wednesdays, 11:00-11:30 (In-Person)
Cost: Free
Join CLL Director Annette Mileski on Wednesdays for 30 minutes of mindful restoration, meditation, and gentle movement. All are welcome.

Film Series

2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month
2:00-4:00 pm (in-person)
Cost: Free

Join us to enjoy a current film!
Register to receive a list of this month’s movie selections.

Dates for Autumn:
September 10 and 24
October 8 and 22
November 12 and 26
December 10

Art and Conversation

Thursdays
11:00-12:30 p.m. (In-person)
Cost: Free

Art and Conversation is not a class but a celebration of fellowship and creativity. Surprise yourself. Be free. Have fun! We invite people to make new friends while indulging in lively discussions and making art. Bring a piece you are working on or start a new one! You don’t have to be talented, just interested and interesting. We can provide some basic materials but you can also bring some from home.

Fiber Friends

Second and Fourth Friday of each month
2:00-3:00 p.m. (In person)
4th Floor lounge of Gratz Center
Cost: Free

Interested in learning how to knit or crochet? Or do you already know how, but would love to sit and stitch with a group? Have we got a space for you! Heather Groh will be facilitating this group every other week and all skill levels are welcome. She will be able to help you get started with some simple patterns if you are new to the craft and will provide support if you are feeling a bit stuck in your stitching.

Autumn meeting dates:

October 10 and 24
November 14 (no meeting on November 28)
December 12

Supreme Court Decisions

Thursdays, September 18-October 23
10:00am-11:30 am, (In person, 6 sessions)
Cost: $45 for CLL Members; $60 for non-members

The current Supreme Court has been the subject of either heated criticism or praise by politicians, the press, editorial writers, and in millions of conversations at breakfasts, lunches, coffee breaks, and dinners. Whether they applaud or criticize the Court, almost everyone is convinced that the “conservative” majority makes decisions motivated by political or religious agendas.

This course will not discuss whether these decisions are socially right or wrong, moral or immoral, conservative or liberal, politically good or bad, or motivated by a political or religious doctrine. Rather, it will focus on understanding the logic and reasoning articulated by the Court in reaching its decisions, and whether this logic and reasoning is consistent with the role given to the Court by the Constitution.

Henry Krasnow became interested in the recent rulings of the current Supreme Court by his frustration over how the media, politicians, and opinion writers described the Court’s rulings to emphasize controversy while ignoring the logic articulated by the Court in explaining those rulings. In addition to his 55 yr. career as a Chicago business lawyer, Henry was an adjunct law professor, had a book published, and authored over 20 magazine articles on a wide range of legal subjects. He holds a B.A. (Economics) from the University of Michigan, a C.P.A. from the University of Illinois, and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.

OCTOBER 2025

Matters of Health

Thursdays
11:30-12:30 p.m. (Hybrid)
Cost: Free

Our lifestyle affects our health, and our health affects our lifestyle. So, what impacts our ability to age in the best way possible for each of us? This weekly series will provide participants with resources to answer this and other questions about aging well. Each week will feature a presenter who will be discussing healthy aging in one of these categories: physical health, mental health, social health, spiritual health, or financial health.

As a participant, you register for the whole series and will receive the full list of topics and a weekly email listing the topic and presenter for that week. Then you may choose which sessions to attend. Sessions are not recorded, but any distributed materials may be sent electronically as well.

October 2 • Margaret Burk, Storytelling
October 9 • Tom Toftkey, Author Talk
October 16 • Ben Bernstein, The Importance of a Plan
October 23 • CJE, Medicare Open Enrollment
October 30 • Sumana Bhattacharya, Liberating Life Coaching

Mahjong
Tuesdays, October 7, 14, 21 and 28
1:00-2:00 p.m. (In-person)
Cost: Free for CLL Members and nonmembers

Have you ever wanted to learn to play Mahjong? Susan Nusbaum will be teaching the basics in this brand-new class! This traditional Chinese tile-based game combines competition with an opportunity to socialize.

Walk with Ease

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, October 7–November 14
1:00-2:30 p.m. (In Person, 6 weeks)
Cost: Free for CLL Members and nonmembers

Walk with Ease is a program designed by the Arthritis Foundation for people who have arthritis or chronic pain. However, it is also a great class for anyone looking for ways to incorporate more movement into their daily life. The class meets three times a week for six weeks, and is designed to help participants build stamina, strength, balance, and better mobility. Each class session will start inside Gratz Center with a short lecture and will conclude with 10-30 minutes of walking; if the weather is suitable, walking will take place outside.

Annette Mileski, director of the Center for Life and Learning, is certified through Rush Hospital as a facilitator of this class.

Modern Art: Communism, Censorship, and the Cold War

Taught by Hugh Leeman
Thursdays
October 9 (Class 1)
October 16 (Class 2)
2:30-3:30 p.m. (Zoom)
Cost: $20 for CLL Members, $30 for nonmembers

In Class 1, we will explore art after the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920), throughout the Americas, when a new narrative was being woven through the hands of Mexican artists who would hybridize local lore and Mexican mythology. Los Tres Grandes, Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros, would weave a visual narrative of the nation's new direction bringing with it fame and controversy.

In Class 2, we will discover the power of art as a subversive weapon of the Cold War. Embedded within Abstract Expressionist star Jackson Pollock and modern art's connection to the C.I.A. we will examine how art shapes public opinion through trafficking social narratives and subverting expectations.

Hugh Leeman is an artist and bilingual instructor. He lectures regularly at Johns Hopkins University and Duke University. Leeman's lectures focus on the historical power of art to influence beliefs and behaviors. He is the managing editor of Roborant Review, which publishes a diversity of perspectives in contemporary art writing. His art has been shown at museums in the United States and Mexico.

Morton Arboretum Trip
Wednesday, October 15
10:00-4:30 (in-person)
Cost: $45 for CLL Members, $60 for nonmembers

Join us to take in some fall colors as we journey to the Morton Grove Arboretum! We will travel by coach bus to the Arboretum for a step-on guided tour and plenty of time on your own to take in all the scenic autumn beauty of their many gardens, trails, and to see “Vivid Creatures”, an outdoor art exhibition.

It is an invitation to wonder and to be inspired by the many connections of the natural world. Amid towering trees and sweeping green vistas, five giant, colorful animal sculptures can be found.

Guests must be able to travel on their own or bring someone to assist them. Trip will be held rain or shine.

Kalpa Imperial: The Greatest Empire That Never Was

Taught by Susan Quaintance
Wednesdays, October 29-November 19
1:30-2:30 (Hybrid)
Cost: $20 for CLL Members, $40 for nonmembers

It seems that we all have been cursed to live in "interesting times." One of the best ways to navigate that reality, of course, is to read. So, together, let's explore Kalpa Imperial: The Greatest Empire That Never Was by the late Argentinian novelist Angelica Gorodischer. The first of her works to be translated into English (by Ursula LeGuin, no less!), Kalpa is a delight: a short story collection that is political allegory and fairy tale and magical philosophy. Mostly, it is a book that holds up story as that which sustains us, and quite possibly, creates us.

Susan Quaintance, OSB, has cherished being a part of the Center for Life and Learning community —whether as Program Coordinator, Director, or friend — since 2014. Still keenly interested in issues affecting older adults, she is currently Director of Heart to Heart Ministry, a program designed to help seniors remain independent in their homes, at St. Gertrude Catholic Parish in Edgewater. She also serves as subprioress for her religious community, the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago. For twenty-three years she taught English and Theology at St. Scholastica Academy in Rogers Park, and she has facilitated retreats, days of reflection, and discernment processes for adults all over the country.

October Lunch Meet Up

Friday, October 31
12:00 (In-person)

Meet us at the Basil Leaf Cafe (2465 N Clark St.).

Located in Lincoln Park, Basil Leaf Cafe is the happening Italian Restaurant to dine, drink, and socialize. Their menu features dishes assembled from the freshest ingredients, sure to bring bold and inspiring flavors.

Each person pays for their own lunch at the restaurant.

NOVEMBER 2025

World’s Fairs of the Art Deco Era

Art, Architecture, and Attractions

Mondays, November 3-November 24
2:30-4:30 p.m. (In person)
Cost: $40 for CLL Members and $60 for nonmembers

In the days before television and the internet allowed for instantaneous communication, regional, national, and international expositions acquainted the world with new scientific and industrial advances, innovative consumer products, and the latest trends in art and architecture.

Come take a virtual tour of a selection of the most significant and influential expositions of the period between the First and Second World Wars, including all seven held in the United States during this time!

Topics will include exposition layout and landscaping; the design of exposition pavilions; the art, including sculptures and murals, of the pavilions and the grounds; the scientific, commercial, and government exhibits that were featured at these expositions; the many attractions and amusements that awaited visitors on the exposition midways; and the legacies of these events, namely the structures and urban improvements that remain today.

Kathleen Murphy Skolnik teaches art and architectural history at Roosevelt University classes on architecture and design of the late 19th and early 20th century at the Newberry Library. She is the co-author of The Art Deco Murals of Hildreth Meière and a contributor to Art Deco Chicago: Designing Modern America. From 2008 to 2016 she was the editor of the Chicago Art Deco Society Magazine and currently serves on the Board of the International Hildreth Meière Association and the Advisory Board of the Art Deco Society of New York.

Beginner’s Canasta

Tuesdays, November 4-November 18
2:30-4:30 p.m. (In Person)
Cost: Free

Have you ever wanted to learn to play Canasta? Join CLL members with years of experience who will teach you the basics and strategies of this fun and challenging card game! Seats are limited.

Creative Writing with Margaret Burk
Thursdays, November 6-20
1:00-2:30 p.m. (In Person, 3 weeks)
Cost: $25 for CLL Members and $45 for nonmembers

We all live storied lives. Our stories provide a way to share experiences, life lessons, and wisdom with others. Nationally known storyteller, writer and producer Margaret Burk will lead the group in accessing memories, developing them into short stories, and sharing them in a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Margaret Burk brings decades of performance, teaching and producing experience to her storytelling programs and workshops. Margaret has a B.A. in Theatre and M.A. in Communication. She taught theatre at Kennedy King College in Chicago. From 1990 to 2002, she was Director of Development for the Chicago Sinfonietta and was named as “100 Women Making a Difference” in Today’s Chicago Woman magazine. After a career in arts administration, Margaret returned to her love - the spoken word. She performs throughout the Chicago area. Margaret produces Tellers’ Night, a monthly storytelling show, at Robert’s Westside in Forest Park. A special passion is teaching Sharing Your Legacy writing classes to senior adults, believing that our stories are heirlooms - gifts to future generations.

Beyond the Headlines: Understanding Today’s News

Thursdays:
November 13
December 4
1:00-2:00 p.m. (Hybrid, 3 Sessions)
Cost: $30 for CLL Members, $50 for Non-CLL Members

Sally Sachar will dig deep into public policy and current events and how they are being covered in today’s media landscape. This fascinating class is sure to produce conversation. Sally spent nearly 30 years in Washington, DC working in public policy and leading nonprofits in education and health. After moving to Chicago, she founded the Ibis Collaborative, which leads public policy and current events discussions with older adults locally and nationally. A former presidential appointee, she held senior roles at the U.S. Department of Labor, including Deputy Chief of Staff and Associate Assistant Secretary for Policy. She also runs a consulting firm focused on strengthening nonprofits and small businesses.

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