Eat at one of the many eateries located in historic downtown.

Why Should We Care About Brutalist and Postmodernist Architecture?

Love it, hate it. Save it or destroy it. Brutalist and Postmodernist architecture often provokes strong reactions. Though many find these buildings aesthetically unattractive, a greater appreciation for the styles can be gained through understanding why these buildings were designed as they were. Both arose as a reaction against Modern architecture, which was criticized as minimalist, anonymous, monotonous, and boring. Brutalist architects developed a style that was bold, dramatic, authentic, and monumental. Postmodernists pursued architecture that was theatrical, contextual, expressive, and playful. However, both styles had fallen out of favor by the 1990s, with Brutalism criticized as authoritarian and Postmodernism as kitsch.

But Brutalism and Postmodernism are making a comeback. Contemporary architects are beginning to look to these designs of the past for inspiration, and efforts are being made to preserve significant works.  So far, most preservation efforts have been reactionary, in response to proposed demolition or alterations. A more comprehensive preservation approach is needed. This webinar will cover historical development, key features, and preservation challenges, encouraging you to help give Brutalist and Postmodern buildings a future.

Presenter: Abigail Christman

Time: 12:00:00 PM · Central Time (US & Canada)

Lunch at your favorite historic downtown building!

Take a photo of a place that matters to you! Post it with the #thisplacematters

Take a photo of a place that matters to you! Post it with the #thisplacematters

Guest Speaker:

Robert Heacock, “Early Explorers of the Pacific Northwest – A Long Time Coming.”

Time: 2pm Central

Eat at one of the many eateries located in historic downtown.

Multinational Settlements and French Colonization along the Gulf Coast with Elizabeth Ellis 

Before the establishment of New Orleans, the small colonial towns of Biloxi and Mobile were the centers of the French empire in the Lower Mississippi Valley. However, these were not powerful and independent imperial settlements. Instead, Mobile and Biloxi were both situated within clusters of Native American towns, and the close relationships between these small Native nations and their newly arrived French neighbors meant that Indigenous people critically shaped many of the early political and economic developments of Louisiana colony. 

Professor Elizabeth Ellis will explore this legacy as part of the May Second Thursday lecture, sponsored by the Friends of the Cabildo. The event will take place Thursday, May 13 at 6:00 p.m. CDT over Zoom and is free and open to the public. Advanced registration is required, and a Zoom link will be sent to registrants the day of the program. Please register here: https://forms.gle/U591xubeTtRNFDy3A

In 2007, Pulitzer Prize winning historian David W. Blight published the personal accounts of two young men who found their way to freedom in the war-torn South. Their stories, apparently written just for their families, provide unusual insight into the strength, courage and persistence of men seeking futures in freedom. This presentation will review their narratives, and the lives they forged for themselves after the Civil War. SPEAKER: Joan Kapsch, James A. Garfield NHS.

Time: 12om EST / 11am Central

Comic books have been a fixture for American children for generations. Often relegated (and sometimes maligned) to pulp fiction and cheap, simplistic entertainment, and even regulated and censured for a time in part due to congressional concerns about glorification of violence and even communism, comics today have reached beyond capes and monsters to tackle complex and significant cultural issues, including some of America’s most difficult histories.

“Progress in Panels: Interpreting History Through Comics” explores how creators have used comics and graphic novels to tell the stories of Japanese internment and our current rash of police violence against African-Americans in new and accessible ways that reach wide audiences that may not frequent library stacks or academic lectures.

This event is generously sponsored by the Lowell Institute. By registering for this event, you will be added to Revolutionary Spaces’ mailing and newsletter list. You are able to opt out at any time. Thank you!

Time: 5::30 Central / 6:30 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Take a photo of a place that matters to you! Post it with the #thisplacematters

NAPC Preservation Month Trivia!

Come celebrate Preservation Month with NAPC by testing your preservation knowledge against your colleagues across the country. 

How to play:

• No teams. Everyone will play individually but encourage your colleagues to join you for some friendly competition.

• Each player will need access to Zoom to watch the game along with access to the Kahoot app or website to enter answers. Separate devices are ideal (such as a computer along with a smartphone or tablet) but you could also use split screens on your computer.

• When you enter Zoom you will see the Game Pin # and joining instructions. Enter the Pin # in Kahoot! mobile app or at kahoot.it. You’ll be prompted to enter your name/nickname. And then you’re ready to play!

• Questions will display in Zoom and you will enter your responses via the Kahoot app or website. Scoring is based on correct answers as well as how quickly you respond.

Trivia Hosts: Wade Broadhead and Abigail Christman

Registration Required

Time: 6:30 Central / 7:30 Eastern

Come join in the discussion! NYT best selling author A.J.Baime will be joining us in discussion of his book ‘Dewey Defeats Truman.’ This event is hosted by Doug Richardson from the Harry S. Truman National Historic Site. This title is a part of our Booktalk Collection and copies are available separately from the catalog. Please contact booktalk@mymcpl.org to reserve a copy of the book or for any other questions you may have. Registration is required.

Time: 6:30 pm - Central

Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires federal agencies to consider the effects of their undertakings on historic properties, in consultation with local governments and other stakeholders and with public input. The consultation must happen prior to agency approval of the project, activity, or program, so that consulting parties have an opportunity to influence federal decision making. Staff and review board members of Certified Local Governments (CLGs) will benefit from this overview of the Section 106 review process and the roles of consulting parties and the public in such reviews with ACHP’s Blythe Semmer, Assistant Director for Special Initiatives and Laura Lavernia, Program Analyst/GSA Liaison.

Time: 3pm EST / 2pm Central

Take a photo of a place that matters to you! Post it with the #thisplacematters