Released: July 17, 2023
Registration open, Fall CE Schedule available in print and online
Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado
Santa Fe Community College’s Continuing Education announces a partnership with the Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado in Tesuque. Registration for classes at the resort property is now open along with more than 150 offerings in SFCC’s Fall Continuing Education Schedule now available online. Print copies are available in the racks at Santa Fe Community College, the Santa Fe Higher Education Center and around town. Visit https://www.sfcc.edu/ce for tips on registering and to view the variety of offerings available in-person and online for personal enrichment or to develop professional skills.
SFCC Director of Continuing Education Nicholas “Nick” Wernicki said, “We are thrilled to be partnering with the Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado to offer some of our most popular classes on the Four Seasons property. These classes will offer a chance for personal enrichment in a magnificent setting. Attendees can enjoy the Ancient Sky-Watchers class accompanied by the Four Seasons signature s’mores and hot-cocoa. We invite the community to join Professor Steve Martinez for an afternoon of 19th Century New Mexico history or popular art instructor Michael Long for an outdoor art experience both offered at the Four Seasons property with a mouthwatering lunch at the seasonally inspired Terra Restaurant included.”
Bixente Pery, General Manager of Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado added, “Four Seasons is excited to partner with Santa Fe Community College to welcome people to experience the ambiance and cuisine of Rancho Encantado while enjoying superb lectures offered by talented instructors.” Bar and Restaurant General Manager Faith Shroeder said, “We are proud to share our signature restaurant with the community, featuring the flavors of northern New Mexican cuisine with global influences, all with sweeping views of the Sangre de Cristo mountains.”
Here are details about the classes being offered through the partnership:
The Ancient Sky-watchers, an Introduction
6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Oct. 16, 2023
Class description: For our ancestors, the sky was a clock, calendar, and a means for navigation and surveying. Prehistoric sites around the world, such as New Grange, Stonehenge, and the Pyramids of Giza, have long been interpreted as having astronomical connections or significance. This tradition of sky-watching was also practiced in the New World. Continue the tradition by joining this expert experience at the Four Seasons Resort, Santa Fe. Set in the Sanga de Cristo foothills and away from the city lights, the Four Seasons is a perfect setting for stargazing. Participants will learn about the astronomical traditions of the Ancestral Puebloan cultures of the Southwest, including Chaco, Mesa Verde, Bandelier, as well as those of the adjacent Mogollon and Hohokam people. We will also discuss the connections between the ancient sky-watchers and the subsequent Pueblo cultures of the Rio Grande and Santa Fe River valleys. The experience ends with a fireside Q & A with the instructor. The Four Seasons signature hot-cocoa and s’mores are included.
Instructor: James “Jim” Wysong, Ed.D., Dean for the School of Liberal Arts and the School of Arts, Design, and Media Arts at SFCC, will present Ancient Sky-Watchers: An Introduction. He has an extensive background in science education, having taught courses in astronomy, meteorology, geology, and geography for more than three decades. He has led field courses throughout the U.S., Central America, Iceland and Greenland. He has also worked on research projects in environmental science, archeoastronomy and historical geography. He is an accomplished photographer, an experienced pilot and an avid hiker.
Drawing Magic
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 16
Class description: Join an afternoon of drawing and creative expression at the Four Seasons Resort, Santa Fe. You will rely on simple materials like colored pencils, crayons, and ballpoint pen on paper to produce art inspired by the rugged beauty that surrounds the Four Seasons Resort, Santa Fe. Experience breakthroughs in your approach to creative thinking and art making. Study nourishing drawing and design techniques that explore form, shape, line and space in unexpected ways. All are welcome, from beginners to seasoned artists or for anyone wanting to unleash creative potential. A Four Seasons lunch with your instructor is included.
Instructor: Michael Long is a visual artist and art instructor, who currently teaches visual art classes through SFCC’s CE department. Classes include Abstract Painting, Landscape Painting, Abstract Drawing and Abstract Watercolor and Collage. Long earned an MFA from the University of Colorado (2008), a BFA from the College of Santa Fe (2004) and studied under Richard Pousette-Dart at the Art Students League of New York (1986-1987). Along with his life-long pursuit in artmaking, he has had a passion for bringing out the creative voice in others having taught classes and workshops for more than 30 years at many institutions, universities and colleges including The Contemporary Art Museum (Austin, Texas), University of Colorado, Eastern New Mexico University, University of Hawaii, Dar al-Kalima College (Bethlehem, Palestine), Southwestern College & New Earth Institute and Santa Fe Photography Workshops.
19th Century NM History
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 17
Are you interested in the 1800’s in New Mexico? Would you like to learn about the linking of two nations via the Santa Fe Trail? Join Professor Steve Martinez for a special lunch and learn experience on 19th Century New Mexico history at the Four Seasons Resort, Santa Fe. Discover the Chimayo Revolt of 1837, the Mexican American War and how Manifest Destiny impacted Native Americans and Mexicans. We will examine the life of Padre Martinez and explore how the Compromise of 1850 impacted the US Civil War. Wrap up the 19th century with the arrival of the railroads, the Land Grant Wars and statehood for New Mexico. Lunch from the Four Seasons Terra restaurant is included.
Instructor: Stephen “Steve” Martinez, Ph.D., has a background in Spanish Borderlands and New Mexico history. He was a visiting professor in the Chicano Studies Department at the University of New Mexico between 1997-2004. His research and writing background are centered on New Mexico’s Territorial Period. He has also taught History courses at Northern New Mexico College, and New Mexico Highlands University. He is an Assistant Professor of History at SFCC and is the Director of the Veterans Legacy Grant Program. His research collaborations include the University of New Mexico’s Center for Regional Studies at Zimmerman Library and the New Mexico State Engineers Office.
Advance registration is required for the classes at Four Seasons, as well as other offerings through SFCC’s Continuing Education program.
If you have questions about the schedule or where to get a print copy, contact Continuing Education at ce@sfcc.edu or 505-428-1676. The CE staff can help you complete your registration.
Santa Fe Community College celebrates its 40th Anniversary as the pathway to success for individuals and the community. SFCC provides affordable, high-quality programs that serve the academic, cultural, and economic needs of the community. The college welcomes over 10,000 students per year in credit, noncredit, workforce training, personal enrichment, and adult programs.
A “Best for Vets” and a “Military Friendly” school.
Visit sfcc.edu or call 505-428-1000.
Follow us: Facebook | X (formerly Twitter) | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram
