Portrait of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ, Portrait of a Nation
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ looms large in the imagination of the United States. We’ve shown up in popular culture, from Home Alone to The Office.
From its roots as an important U.S. city at the turn of the last century, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ is dotted with artistic and architectural gems, from Raymond Hood’s Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Cultural Center to Covenant Presbyterian Church’s glass windows, made by the renowned artist Louis Comfort Tiffany.
The city’s nickname, “The Electric City,” refers to its being the first American city to have an electric streetcar, and points to the city’s current revitalization and economic development.
Notable people hail from Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ, including:
- the poet M.S. Merwin
- urbanist Jane Jacobs
- Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Jason Miller
- U.S. President Joe Biden
What is it that makes Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ a cultural touchstone? How is Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ portrayed, and what is the authentic portrait of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ today? How do Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵians picture ourselves? What is our place in the story of the United States?
Some key ideas to be explored in this theme include memory, place, identity, narrative, and human geography.
Events & Activities
Oct. 19, 2021 - Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ in the Popular Imagination
Keynote Lecture with author Jay Parini with respondent panel and audience Q&A
Oct. 23, 2021 - Jane Jacobs Walk Downtown Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ's Lackawanna Avenue - a Living CIty
Jane Jacobs Inspired Downtown Walking Tour
Dec. 6, 2021 - Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ & the Nation: Who Are We and Who Do We Aspire to Be?
Roundtable Discussion with resource speakers
"I am Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ" Social Media Campaign
Humanities Resources
Conservation and Demolition. Memory and Oblivion, AAE European Architecture Association of Education