The late Renaldo Kuhler (1931-2013) was a scientific illustrator and self-taught artist who invented an imaginary country as a teenager, and illustrated its history for more than six decades. Initially created as an escape, the illustrated history of "Rocaterrania" became a complex, coded, and metaphoric autobiography of a troubled outsider who sublimated his emotions into an astounding body of work. A native of Rockland County, NY, Kuhler spent the last 44 years of his life in Raleigh, 30 of those years as a scientific illustrator for the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Rocaterrania remained a secret world, unknown to Kuhler’s family, friends, and co-workers, until he met documentary filmmaker Brett Ingram. Over the course of a decade, Kuhler gradually revealed his imaginary world to Ingram, as documented in the documentary feature film "Rocaterrania" (2009). This short course will explore the life and work of Renaldo Kuhler, his influences, aesthetic tastes, and the intricate connections between his life and the history of Rocaterrania.

Recommended Reading: The Secret World of Renaldo Kuhler by Brett Ingram (available on Amazon)

Registration deadline: March 13