April 26, 2022, marks the 200th birthday of Frederick Law Olmsted, urban planner and founder of American landscape architecture. Olmsted and his successor firms designed thousands of landscape projects across the country. His democratic vision of public parks and their capacity to bring communities together is more important than ever.
We are celebrating Olmsted's life and legacy with two events this month.
Join us on May 19th to celebrate Olmsted 200 with a presentation and lecture by historian and filmmaker Laurence Cotton. Cotton will speak about the life and career of the Renaissance-man Olmsted—writer, philosopher, social reformer, advocate for the preservation of natural scenery, and creator of some of the most beautiful parks and gardens in all of North America.
Cotton will also chart the influences of design traditions, aesthetics and philosophies that influenced Olmsted’s thought and take us on a visual tour of his representative landscapes.
The May 19th talk takes place from 4:30-5:30pm at Nesbit Hall Room 132 located on Drexel's campus at 3215 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19104. RSVP here.
Our May 20th event will cap off our Olmsted celebration. The program includes a reception and screening of the film “Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America,” followed by an audience Q&A and a conversation with Laurence Cotton and Maura McCarthy, the executive director of the Fairmount Park Conservancy.
The May 20th event will take place from 6-8 pm at the AJ Drexel Picture Gallery located on the third floor of the Main Building at 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104. RSVP here.