D’Youville College has announced that it is launching a new BuffaLearn series that will allow the community to take virtual classes on topics such as brewing, bees, and theatre. During this time of quarantine and social distancing, numerous organizations are turning to online classes to keep people’s minds sharp and their downtime occupied.

The BuffaLearn series is akin to the popular MasterClass, an immersive online experience where users can take online classes on a wide variety of subjects taught by industry leaders.

The initial BuffaLearn series kicks off on Friday, April 24 at 4:30pm on YouTube. The classes will detail the history and growth of the Buffalo brewing scene, beekeeping, and the anatomy of theatre productions, according to organizers.

Following is the breakdown of classes:

The History of Buffalo Brewing

Ethan Andrew Cox, president and co-founder of Community Beer Works, explores the growth of Buffalo through his unique lens: brewing. From his early experiences with Molson Brador, experimenting with home brewing in college, founding and owning his own brewery, and then coauthoring a book on Buffalo’s brewing history, Ethan’s life has revolved around beer. And similarly, so too has the history of the Nickel City. This class is about more than hops and yeast – the story touches on patterns of immigration, prohibition, industrialization, the explosion of modern craft breweries, and the history of the city of Buffalo more generally.

Beekeeping 101

Eight years ago, Mike Masterson, owner and operator of Masterson’s Garden Center in East Aurora, was inspired by the plight of the honeybee. These hard workers pollinate fruits and vegetables for us free of charge, but their colonies are disappearing at a rate of 40% per year. When Mike learned about this, he started beekeeping and soon his hobby turned into a profession. Mike and his daughter, Erin Masterson Holko, and son, Dan Masterson, began selling bee keeping supplies and offering workshops on backyard beekeeping at Masterson’s Garden Center. They invite you to join them to learn about honeybees from A-Z and maybe even take on beekeeping on your own.

Anatomy of a Play

All was not lost when the ongoing threat from COVID-19 shuttered the Kavinoky Theatre. Costumes were created, lights were focused, the stage was set, and several audience members were fortunate enough to see the 4-star production of Indecent.

BuffaLearn interviewed Loraine O’Donnell, executive artistic director of the Kavinoky Theatre, and the cast, crew, and designers on the set of the Tony Award winning play to find out exactly how a professional theatre production comes to stage and you can learn all about it.

Individuals interested in learning more about the BuffaLearn series or to register for upcoming classes should visit buffalearn.com. The premier class is free, with users then paying either $24.99 to buy each course or $6.99 to rent a course. D’Youville would also like community input on what topics should be covered in future classes and invites community members to share their ideas on social media using the hashtag #Buffalearn.

Lead image: Photo by Adam Wilson