The American Revolution: Telling History Through Art

Before photographs and videography, paintings and other forms of art told the story of war and independence. Join us for a special documentary preview and conversation about The American Revolution, directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt. The six-part series explores the people who lived through America’s founding struggle, their experiences over eight difficult years of wartime, and how they created a new nation where the people themselves would hold the power. During this virtual only event, in collaboration with OLLI at Drake University, we’ll examine how the filmmakers relied on period art and visual interpretation to depict the people, conflicts, and contradictions of America’s founding. The event will feature selected clips from the film, followed by a panel of historians and art experts discussing how visual storytelling shapes our understanding of the people and events that defined a nation.