CELA | Field Session Saturday, March 31, 2011  

FS  3:  Small  Town:  Cultural  and  Spiritual  Landscapes  of  New  Harmony,  Indiana    

All  Day  Field  Session:    $50  with  full  registration/  $75  for  others  (one-­‐day  and  student  rates).  Max  50/  Min  25    

Moderators:  Stephen  Sears,  Assistant  Professor,  University  of  Illinois  at  Urbana-­‐Champaign              Kent  Schuette,  Clinical  Associate  Professor,  Purdue  University  

SIGNIFICANCE:  The  town  of  New  Harmony  was  established  in  1814  along  the  Wabash  River  in  southern  Indiana.  Initially  founded  as  the  religious  enclave  of  Harmonie,  a  second  utopian  community  would  grow  from  its  later  incarnation  as  New  Harmony  –  a  social  experiment  by  Robert  Owen  who  sought  an  enlightened  world  society  through  progressive  experiments  in  education,  communal  living  and  science.  New  Harmony  became  an  influential  training  and  research  center  for  geologists,  naturalists  and  botanists.  The  town  was  the  site  of  the  early  headquarters  of  the  U.S.  Geological  Survey  and  provided  the  earliest  geological  and  natural  science  collections  for  the  beginnings  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution.      

Today  New  Harmony  is  an  independent  and  culturally  rich  community.  It  is  a  destination  for  free  thinkers,  academic  conferences,  and  holds  religious  symbolism  for  devoted  pilgrims.  The  built  environment  reflects  layers  of  historical  charm,  a  mature  urban  forest  and  modest,  sustainable  public  infrastructure.  In  addition  to  the  Athenaeum  there  are  more  than  forty  historic  properties  and  gardens,  contemporary  works  by  leading  international  architects  and  landscape  architects,  a  Victorian  downtown  district  and  the  first  Workingmen’s  Institute,  which  includes  the  oldest  continuously  operating  public  library  in  the  State  of  Indiana.        ITINERARY:  All  listed  times  are  Central  Standard  Time  (CST)    7:30am     Depart  I-­‐Hotel  Conference  Center  by  motor  coach.  Water  and  boxed  lunch  provided.         20  min.  morning  stop  in  Effingham,  Illinois    

11:00     Arrive  at  New  Harmony  Athenaeum  (Richard  Meier,  1979).  Walking  Tour  featuring:  Roofless  Church  (Philip  Johnson,  1960);  Tillich  Park  (Robert  Zion,  1963);  works  by  Jacques  Lipchitz,  Toby  Kahn,  Simon  Vaerte,  James  Rosati;  The  Cathedral  Labyrinth  and  the  Harmonists  Labyrinth;  the  Thrall’s    Opera  House;    The  Workmen’s  Institute,  including  town  history  exhibits.    Alternatively,  participants  are  free  to  explore  the  town  on  their  own.    

 

3:30     Depart  New  Harmony  from  Athenaeum.  20-­‐min.  afternoon  stop.    

7:00pm       Arrive  at  the  I-­‐Hotel  Conference  Center.  Dinner  on  your  own.