OLLI Talks: How The Beatles and Abstract Art Helped Defeat Communism (Drake Hall)

The CIA was formed in 1947. Dismayed by the appeal communism had on many artists and intellectuals in the West, the agency saw abstract art and jazz as proof of intellectual freedom, creativity, and American cultural power. In contrast, Nikita Khrushchev declared that the electric guitar was an enemy of the people. The Beatles represented the youthful spirit and freedom of western societies, and the Fab Four had a huge underground following in the Soviet Union. Learn the details of how these cultural forces influenced history. Yea, Yea, Yea. 

Joe Osmann, M.F.A., is a retired college professor and artist who has studied and taught art history for forty years. He enjoys researching the hidden connections and concepts that drive cultural change and artistic expression. 

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