Returning for its 11th season, University Open Air (UOA) will take place as a spring refresh from April 25–27, 2025, at the new Library for Arts & Culture.
As it always does, UOA provides immigrant teachers, professors, and academics, who were trained outside of the U.S., an opportunity to share their knowledge with the public by welcoming students to enjoy free classes in collaboration with the Prospect Park Alliance. The September semester takes place on the grounds around the Prospect Park Boathouse while the spring residency is housed in one of the library's branch locations.
Please direct additional questions about the upcoming session to Vanessa Baish at vbaish@bklynlibrary.org.
*Please note, while UOA courses aim to equip students with valuable skills, they are non-accredited.
University Open Air is generously supported by The Morris and Alma Schapiro Fund.
Prospect Park Alliance is the non-profit organization that sustains, restores and advances Brooklyn's Backyard, in partnership with the City of New York. The Alliance provides critical staff and resources that keep Prospect Park green and vibrant for the diverse communities that call Brooklyn home.
Upcoming Events
University Open Air: Tibetan Secrets of Rejuvenation and Longevity
We all desire physical and mental wellbeing, but we are busy searching for it outside! Why not we search it within with help of the ancient Tibetan knowledge. We breathe every day without knowing its tremendous power. One of the key secrets is called ‘Vase Breathing’. It is also known as ‘One…
University Open Air: Stitched Narratives: The Stories We Wear
In this workshop, we explore clothing as a representation of identity, tracing the ways our garments connect us to people, places, and memories. This session emphasizes the communal nature of cloth storytelling, inviting participants to share the histories embedded in their clothing.…
University Open Air: Creative Coloring
Adult coloring, a self-care activity that transcends social and cultural barriers, is therapeutic and relaxing. No prior knowledge or expertise required - just an open mind to recreate patterns and images in one's own interpretation. Whether you are a seasoned artist or new to this activity, all…
University Open Air: Tibetan Self-Healing Massage and Mantra Healing
We are burning out with our busy city life! Our body and mind need healing but no time to go for a massage! Here is an opportunity to learn how to do self-massage (a little-known Tibetan self-massage method using your breath and hands) and mantra healing meditation to energize the body and heal…
University Open Air: Listening to the Voice of Things: On Reality and Its Signs
For as long as we can remember, human beings have dealt with uncertainty poetically. It all began with the traces that animals leave on the ground. Knowing how to read these tracks allowed us to address immediate challenges. Repeated patterns over time let us assign consistent meanings to…
University Open Air: Immigrant Sayings: Lecture and Collection Open Hours
For this University Open Air session, Marcelo invites you to share the sayings you've learned from your family, friends, and acquaintances that have helped you cope with difficult situations in the city or country where you're currently living, and also to share the context or story behind the…
University Open Air: Food Preservation and Terroir
This class explores how food preservation, access, and consumption intersect with identity, politics, and cultural norms. Focusing on preservation techniques—such as fermenting, pickling, and drying—we’ll examine how these age-old methods foster resilience, self-sufficiency, and collective care…
University Open Air: A Brief History of Photography (Techniques & Genres)
In this course, first we will see a brief history of photography focused on some of the important techniques and genres (with a bias on French and Francophone photography). After discovering or rediscovering certain techniques used by famous photographers, we will explore the building, the…
University Open Air: Shadow Chaser: Inviting Your Dreams to Tea
Have you encountered your worst self in dreams? Doing, saying, or wishing things that you would never permit yourself to do, think, or say in waking life? Let us invite our "Shadow Selves" to tea. There is no better remedy for shame, embarrassment, and confusion than opening the door to the…
University Open Air: Five Senses Tibetan Yogas & Five Movement Yogas
The Five Sense Tibetan Yogas are sitting yogas for energizing our five senses which are directly connected to our five solid organs and five hollow organs. These yogas are first taught in the 12th century in Tibet.
The Five Movements are standing yogas which release blockages in our…
University Open Air: The Symbolism and Cultural Significance of Chopsticks in Chinese Culture
In Chinese culture, chopsticks hold deep symbolic and cultural significance, representing Harmony, Balance, and Respect, and are integral to daily life and rituals, from meals to ceremonies. In this class, we are going to explore chopsticks Culture and learn Etiquette.
…
University Open Air: Immigrant Sayings: Lecture and Collection Open Hours
For this University Open Air session, Marcelo invites you to share the sayings you've learned from your family, friends, and acquaintances that have helped you cope with difficult situations in the city or country where you're currently living, and also to share the context or story behind the…
University Open Air: Misconceptions about Chinese New Year
Is the Chinese New Year the same as the Lunar New Year? What are the differences? We will dive into the calendar's world in this class.
University Open Air: Stitched Narratives: The Stories We Wear
In this workshop, we explore clothing as a representation of identity, tracing the ways our garments connect us to people, places, and memories. This session emphasizes the communal nature of cloth storytelling, inviting participants to share the histories embedded in their clothing.…
University Open Air: How to Make Healing Nectar
Eco and drinking enzymes have been developed by Dr. Rosukon from Thailand. Eco enzyme is a complex solution produced by fermentation of fresh kitchen waste (fruit and vegetable scraps), brown sugar, and water. Eco enzyme is a multipurpose liquid, and its applications cover general household…
University Open Air: Power & Photography
Let's discuss photography's less known history of violence, which persists in subtle forms today. Some photographic practices are still based on power (colonial, and more). Content over consent unwittingly turns the “subject” into an object of consumption. With iconic examples, we will think of…
University Open Air: Dreams of Death, Signs of Rebirth. Discussion and Performance.
For many, dreams of death can bring discomfort, anxiety, and fear. Yet, death in the dream realm may be viewed as a transcendent experience rather than a literal one. Where there is death, there is a cycle into rebirth. One may ask themselves, "What part of me needs to die so a new chapter can…