Placemaking: Laurie Olin in conversation with Tom Finkelpearl

Thursday, October 16, 2008
6:30 – 8:00 PM
$10 ($7 for members). Tickets available at the door.

Presented in association with The Monacelli Press, in celebration of the publication of OLIN: Placemaking, OLIN's first monograph. Signed copies of the book will be available for purchase.

How did Columbus Circle transform from an abandoned traffic circle into an active, dynamic, social space at the center of New York City? Landscape Architect Laurie Olin worked to make this historic but derelict spot into a creatively designed, multi-use park that is now a constant hub of activity. Joined by Tom Finkelpearl, Executive Director of the Queens Museum of Art, Olin will discuss his concept and experience of creating Columbus Circle, the social function of landscape and public architecture, and the role of public art in creating a space for open dialog in the urban environment.

Laurie Olin
FASLA, Founding Partner of OLIN
Laurie Olin's work examines the role ordinary aspects of the environment play in creating landscapes that are exemplary and uncommon. Olin is Practice Professor of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1991, he won the Bradford Williams Medal for his writing on the history and theory of landscape architecture. OLIN is the recipient of the Cooper-Hewitt 2008 National Design Award for Landscape Design.

Tom Finkelpearl
Finkelpearl is the Executive Director of the Queens Museum of Art, where he is currently implementing an expansion that will double the size of the museum. Finkelpearl has worked as a curator and program manager at P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, New York, Director of the Percent for Art Program at the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and Executive Director of Program at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. He was appointed to his current post at the Queens Museum of Art in 2002. Based on his public art experience and further research, he authored the book Dialogues in Public Art in 2000. Tom Finkelpearl received a B.A. from Princeton University and an M.F.A. from Hunter College