Free literature and art programs invite lifelong learners in The Dalles
By Nancy Turner with edits by Tom Peterson
Nancy Turner
The Dalles, Ore., Feb. 20, 2026 — Two free adult education courses exploring literature and art will begin in March at the Mid-Columbia Senior Center, offering local residents opportunities to expand their cultural knowledge and creative thinking.
“Exploring the Short Story: Irish and American Literature” and “Random Art” are part of an ongoing series of classes led by instructor Kerry Cobb, an arts and education enthusiast who specializes in literature, art history and cultural studies. The classes are open to the public, and all materials are provided at no cost.
The literature course meets at 10 a.m. on the second Friday of each month in the Deschutes Room and compares short stories from Ireland and the United States under shared themes. Participants read two stories each month — one from each country — and discuss how culture, landscape and history influence storytelling.
The “Random Art” series meets monthly and explores a wide range of artistic genres, movements and artists, helping participants expand their understanding of visual culture and creativity. Both classes are free and open to learners of all experience levels.
The “Random Art” class meets at 10 a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month. The first six sessions include “Rothko & Hockney” on March 10, “The Spectacular Art of Caravaggio” on April 14, “What Makes a Masterpiece?” on May 12, “Spanish Painters You Should Know” on June 9, “The Art of Painting Women” on July 14, and “Early American Artists” on Aug. 11.
All classes are held at the Mid-Columbia Senior Center. Interested participants can sign up at the front desk.
Enriching the Lives of Elders
A testimonial by Nancy Turner
During the past year I traveled all over Ireland without leaving The Dalles. No hiking over dramatic Irish landscapes, no touring historic sites, or listening to music in pubs. Not that I wouldn’t mind doing so, but I saved myself the expense and challenges of travel simply by attending a class at the Mid-Columbia Senior Center. What I’m telling you here isn’t a travel log. It’s a testimonial.
In 2024 Kerry Cobb offered a free, year long course on Irish short stories. My attention span could handle short stories. Kerry provided copies of stories printed on real paper, not just a Hyperlink to a URL. The class met once a month for an hour, Friday mornings. I assumed my fellow classmates were retired. Everything was copasetic.
Kerry provided clear, in-depth guidance to understand and enjoy stories written by such famous writers as Jennifer C. Cornell, Michael McLavery and Sean O’Faoláin, and many more. She knows her stuff. Her love of Ireland and literature is contangeous.
Irish and American short stories often overlap in craft, but they tend to feel different because they grow out of different histories, different landscapes and ideas about the self. Irish stories have an intimate and unavoidable relationship with a village, a town, pub or farm. The landscape carries emotional and historical weight. Characters are pressured by family expectations, church, class, and local reputation. The stories often rely on understatement, irony and silence.
This is in contrast to American stories in which the setting can be vast, mobile or symbolic, such as highways, suburbs, frontiers, cites. American characters often have the option – real or imagined – of leaving. There’s an emphasis on space, movement, or reinvention.
Without leaving my sugawn, (an Irish chair made from wood with a straw rope seat), I learned about Irish history, it’s unique cultural norms, and gained insight into the heartfelt experiences of Irish individuals.
Kerry Cobb is an arts and education enthusiast active in the adult education programs at the Mid-Columbia Senior Center. She offers engaging classes on literature, art history, and cultures. Her classes are especially geared for older learners.
