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 January 17, 2009 - March 1, 2009
How fast is China rising into a world superpower? With a non-democratic political leadership, 1.3 billion people requiring three meals a day, and a centrally-planned economic system that is among the hardest to reform in the world, how can China make it? To put it another way, how and why is China still rising and not collapsing? This presentation will address these questions by enumerating the economic, geo-political, cultural, and historical significance of China's rise. Learn why the potential of the Chinese has been constantly underestimated.
Nadya Suleman, the California mother who gave birth to eight babies on January 26, now has a total of fourteen children under the age of 8, and she is only 33 years old. Since the birth of her octupulets made headlines across the globe, Suleman's life has come under the public microscope.
An ethical debate swirls around Suleman's decision to have eight more children. Suleman, almost universally referred to now as "Octo-Mom" is single and unemployed. Her mother, Angela, said her daughter's obsession with children "can't go on any longer." She told the New York Daily News: "Instead of becoming a kindergarten teacher or something, she started having them, but not the normal way."
Suleman, who calls her childhood "dysfunctional," revealed in an interview with NBC's Ann Curry that she tried to get pregnant for seven years through artificial insemination and fertility drugs before she turned to in vitro fertilization. The octuplets, six boys and two girls born nine weeks premature, will remain in the hospital four weeks longer, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Its anchor program is the first-year course, which is offered in partnership with Bard College and for which students may receive six units of college credit.
Faculty members are largely from first-rate universities such as University of Chicago, the School of the Art Institute, and DePaul University.
Tuition is free, and the Illinois Humanities Council provides free childcare, free books, and transportation. The six units of credit are fully transferable to other colleges and universities.
This course meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Admission is by application only. Refer to syllabus for changes in course schedule.
See photos from this event in our Photo Gallery
Ethanol shows promise as a replacement for fossil fuels, yet requires significant water and land resources to produce. What is the promise of ethanol and what are its limitations? How does producing ethanol influence the supply and demand for water?
Crosscurrents will examine the environmental and ethical questions involved in increased ethanol production.
Panelists:
Nadya Suleman, the California mother who gave birth to eight babies on January 26, now has a total of fourteen children under the age of 8, and she is only 33 years old. Since the birth of her octupulets made headlines across the globe, Suleman's life has come under the public microscope.
An ethical debate swirls around Suleman's decision to have eight more children. Suleman, almost universally referred to now as "Octo-Mom" is single and unemployed. Her mother, Angela, said her daughter's obsession with children "can't go on any longer." She told the New York Daily News: "Instead of becoming a kindergarten teacher or something, she started having them, but not the normal way."
Suleman, who calls her childhood "dysfunctional," revealed in an interview with NBC's Ann Curry that she tried to get pregnant for seven years through artificial insemination and fertility drugs before she turned to in vitro fertilization. The octuplets, six boys and two girls born nine weeks premature, will remain in the hospital four weeks longer, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Literature & Medicine: Humanities at the Heart of Healthcare is a discussion-based program that brings hospital staff together monthly to reflect on the larger mission of medicine through facilitated conversations about literature.
This presentation examines the artwork of African American painters as documents containing social commentary about American life and issues faced by African Americans. At the beginning of the 20th century, many black artists addressed controversial social issues through their paintings. Rachel Ensor discusses the Harlem Renaissance, as well as the work and intentions of painters whose art depicted aspects of African American life. Learn about such artists as Palmer Hayden, Aaron Douglas, Romare Bearden, Betye Saar, and John Michel Basquiat, and explore how their art relates to the African American experience and urban life. What does the art tell us about the artists themselves, and race and identity in the US? This presentation will be supported with a continued reading list. Rachel Ensor holds an interdisciplinary PhD in History, Art History and Black Studies, from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She is currently a lecturer in 20th Century American and African Diaspora History at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and was a 2007 NEH post Doctoral Fellow. Her research interests are African, African American, and 20th century American history and culture.
YES MEANS YES! Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape is a groundbreaking new look at rape, edited by writer and activist Jaclyn Friedman and Feministing.com founder Jessica Valenti. The anthology tries to move beyond "no means no" to connect the dots between the shaming and co-option of female sexuality in our culture(s) and some of the ways rape is allowed and encouraged to function.
At this program, you'll hear from and get to talk with Jaclyn Friedman and one of the book's fantastic contributors, Hazel/Cedar Troost.
"Yes Means Yes reminds me of why I came to call myself a feminist. It's unapologetic, politically astute, and affirming of women and our sexualities. These gutsy writers analyze with passion their experiences of incest, racial stereotypes, and sex work, and they dare us to imagine a world where we're safe and empowered." -- Daisy Hernandez, co-editor of Colonize This! Women of Color on Today's Feminism
The mere mention of "Tuna Noodle Casserole"-the one made with canned tuna, packaged noodles, and canned soup-to an American of a certain age can call up powerful memories. Love it or hate it, Tuna Noodle Casserole has been an icon of American home cooking since the 1950s. The program invites the audience to think about the ways in which the family dinner table and American culture have changed since the days of Leave it to Beaver and to consider the role of the food industry in American food culture. Penelope Bingham holds degrees from Wellesley College and the University of Chicago and has been an avid collector and appraiser of cookbooks for many years. Her personal collection of cookbooks now exceeds well over 2,000 volumes, and she has given numerous programs on American culture and cookbooks to libraries and professional organizations around Illinois.
The Clinton cemetery has long served as a recreational area for Clinton. Children go there to sled, ride their bicycles, and play on the baseball diamond; teenagers first learn how to drive on its roads; and many people use it as a place to walk their dogs.
Given this use, and the fact that the cemetery has been moved more than once, the Vespasian Warner Public Library will explore the land-use theme of the Between Fences exhibition, asking the question: What makes land sacred?
Joey Woolridge, a local historian and author, will present on the history of Clinton's cemetery.
Discussion of 'A Three Dog Life,' by Abigail Thomas
A discussion with La Donna Redmond on food and community, to follow a screening of the film "Soul Food."
Ms. Redmond will infuse the discussion with her perspectives on the local food movement, the lack of diversity in the dialogue about local, sustainable food, and the unavailability of fresh and healthy food in certain neighborhoods, including the "food deserts" on Chicago's west and south sides.
Its anchor program is the first-year course, which is offered in partnership with Bard College and for which students may receive six units of college credit.
Faculty members are largely from first-rate universities such as University of Chicago, the School of the Art Institute, and DePaul University.
Tuition is free, and the Illinois Humanities Council provides free childcare, free books, and transportation. The six units of credit are fully transferable to other colleges and universities.
This course meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Admission is by application only. Refer to syllabus for changes in course schedule.
This multimedia presentation examines contemporary appearances of the beloved stovepipe-hatted president in unlikely places: musicals, Pulitzer Award-winning plays about card hustlers by playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, episodes of The Simpson's, and in ads for sleep medications. Just how does Lincoln's legacy play out for artists and audiences now? What is the relationship between recent historical findings and new representations of Abraham Lincoln? And, how do these representations shape our perceptions of Lincoln's legacy? Jennifer Shook is the Artistic Director of Caffeine Theatre, where she recently directed Seamus Heaney's The Cure at Troy
Nadya Suleman, the California mother who gave birth to eight babies on January 26, now has a total of fourteen children under the age of 8, and she is only 33 years old. Since the birth of her octupulets made headlines across the globe, Suleman's life has come under the public microscope.
An ethical debate swirls around Suleman's decision to have eight more children. Suleman, almost universally referred to now as "Octo-Mom" is single and unemployed. Her mother, Angela, said her daughter's obsession with children "can't go on any longer." She told the New York Daily News: "Instead of becoming a kindergarten teacher or something, she started having them, but not the normal way."
Suleman, who calls her childhood "dysfunctional," revealed in an interview with NBC's Ann Curry that she tried to get pregnant for seven years through artificial insemination and fertility drugs before she turned to in vitro fertilization. The octuplets, six boys and two girls born nine weeks premature, will remain in the hospital four weeks longer, the Los Angeles Times reported.
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 January 17, 2009 - March 1, 2009
Nadya Suleman, the California mother who gave birth to eight babies on January 26, now has a total of fourteen children under the age of 8, and she is only 33 years old. Since the birth of her octupulets made headlines across the globe, Suleman's life has come under the public microscope.
An ethical debate swirls around Suleman's decision to have eight more children. Suleman, almost universally referred to now as "Octo-Mom" is single and unemployed. Her mother, Angela, said her daughter's obsession with children "can't go on any longer." She told the New York Daily News: "Instead of becoming a kindergarten teacher or something, she started having them, but not the normal way."
Suleman, who calls her childhood "dysfunctional," revealed in an interview with NBC's Ann Curry that she tried to get pregnant for seven years through artificial insemination and fertility drugs before she turned to in vitro fertilization. The octuplets, six boys and two girls born nine weeks premature, will remain in the hospital four weeks longer, the Los Angeles Times reported.
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 January 17, 2009 - March 1, 2009
This presentation describes the photographs of Abraham Lincoln as they appear in the history of photography. Lincoln was the first extensively photographed President, and the first for whom the media helped sway an election.
The performance will enhance the library's companion exhibition of local folks who have come to settle in Clinton and DeWitt County from elsewhere.
2008 saw foreclosures in the Chicago area rise nearly 40%. And as of yet, none of the bailout money has been directly marked for homeowners.
Join us for a special presentation of the play Sub-Prime Youth, an ensemble created performance piece developed and performed by teens in the Free Street Theater ensemble. This creative reaction to the current economic crisis and rise in foreclosures is about a group of first generation Mexican-American youth who find protection from the collapsing American Dream by inventing a cynical reality. The play weaves the brutal realism of one Mexican-American family facing foreclosure with the emotional surreal music of the Muses of Destruction.
After the play, there will be a discussion with ensemble cast members and panelists Ruben D. Feliciano, Latino Policy Forum's Housing Policy Analyst, Ron Bieganski, Free Street Theater Artistic Director, and Anita Evans, Free Street Theater Creative Director. They will explore Free Street's creative process of engagement and, more generally, the impact of foreclosures on the immigrant community in Chicago.
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 January 17, 2009 - March 1, 2009
The Meaning of Service (MoS) is a reading and discussion program for Americorps volunteers featuring discussions that use short philosophical and literary texts on the nature of justice, service, and related themes. Meaning of Service presents participants with the opportunity to examine, refine, and regenerate the beliefs underlying their work.
Situated at the confluence of three major rivers, grasslands to the west, and forests to the east, Illinois holds a unique environmental position in North America. This presentation explores how Illinoisans have altered and adapted to this environment over the past 12,000 years. Gregory Vogel brings with him artifacts and environmental samples from different time periods to illustrate key points, including artifacts from the famous Koster site, one of the largest archaeological excavations in North America. Explore human/environment relations of the ancient past and the lessons they may hold for us today. Gregory Vogel holds a PhD from the University of Arkansas and is currently the Director of Research at the Center for American Archeology, in Kampsville, Illinois. For more than 17 years, he has developed numerous programs about the environments of the Lower Illinois River and has given workshops and presentations on various aspects of Illinois history, prehistory, and human /environment interactions.
Literature & Medicine: Humanities at the Heart of Healthcare is a discussion-based program that brings hospital staff together monthly to reflect on the larger mission of medicine through facilitated conversations about literature.
photo from http://www.vetartproject.com
The Vet Art Project will culminate in a public performance of new art, created over the course of the Vet Art Project, in the Studio Theater of the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph, Chicago.
For more information, visit http://www.vetartproject.com. This program is free and open to the public, but advanced reservations are recommended.
For tickets visit http://www.dcatheater.org or call (312) 742-8497.
Last week, General Motors (G.M.) announced it was phasing out its Saturn brand entirely, ending the Pontiac division, and selling off Saab and Hummer as it seeks to get more loans from the federal government. Five years ago, the Detroit automaker dropped Oldsmobile, a brand that had been around since 1897. G.M. also manufactures Chevrolet, Buick, and Cadillac.
Founded in 1908, G.M. until recently was the world's largest carmaker. According to its 2007 Annual Report, General Motors had operations in more than 70 countries and more than 250,000 employees worldwide. Its 2006 worldwide revenue topped $206 billion.
Marketing consultant Diana LaSalle wonders how consumers will react to the loss of some brands. She writes: "The news that G.M. is axing or contracting four brands may make sense financially, but for a lot of consumers, it will just seem wrong. For many, a car isn't just transportation, it's part of one's self-image. Where car companies have blundered is not so much in having too many brands, but in losing the essence of the brands."
