Frederick Law Olmsted: Bringing Nature into the City and Creating Breathing Space for Democracy

Event Location: Diercks Hall, MSOE, 1025 N Milwaukee St., Milwaukee, WI 53202

Join historian and filmmaker Laurence Cotton (originator of and consulting producer to the PBS special “Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America” as he does a deep dive into the remarkable life and career of the Renaissance-man Olmsted.

April 26, 2022 marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of Frederick Law Olmsted, the master designer of public parks and a founder of the field landscape architecture. Join historian and filmmaker Laurence Cotton (originator of and consulting producer to the PBS special “Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing America” as he does a deep dive into the remarkable 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 public and private parks and gardens in all of N. America. In his presentation, Laurence will talk about the influences of design traditions, aesthetics and philosophies that influenced Olmsted’s thought—including English garden design, the Hudson River School and Transcendentalism.

Admission is free for this MSOE event.