We live between fences. We may hardly notice them, but they are dominant features in our lives and in our history. Built of hedge, concrete, wood and metal, the fence skirts our properties and is central to the American landscape. We use them to enclose our houses and neighborhoods. They are decorative structures that are as much part of the landscape as trees and flowers. Industry and agriculture without fences would be difficult to imagine. Private ownership of land would be an abstract concept.

But fences are more than functional objects. They are powerful symbols. The way we define ourselves as individuals and as a nation becomes concrete in how we build fences.

Through an examination of boundaries, place, and space, Between Fences will explore how neighbors and nations divide, protect, offend, and defend through the boundaries they build.

This exhibit runs from November 29, 2008 - January 11, 2009

The Catholic Youth Organization's Golden Gloves and the Greek Orthodox Church's sports leagues promote ideals of athletic excellence. However, they do more than that. Each instills in children pride in their heritage while helping them to build their American identities through physical competition and recreation.

Join the Chicago History Museum and the Hellenic Museum to find out more about how these amateur sports have impacted their communities in Chicago.

This event is part of the "Bodies in Motion" series.

The "Bodies in Motion" series explores the cultural significance of athletic activities for Chicago's different ethnic communities. This series is offered through Cultural Connections, a public-education program developed by The Field Museum to offer cross-cultural, public events based in an anthropological framework of Common Concerns, Different Responses. The program also offers continuing professional development courses for Chicago Public School teachers.

"Bodies in Motion" Schedule