The Schiller: Art, Labor, and Assimilation

Join us on November 30th for a virtual program on the politics of labor, class, and culture in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century, which greatly influenced the design of the Garrick Theatre. Kirk Nickel, art scholar and contributor to the exhibition catalog Reconstructing the Garrick, will present brief remarks followed by a moderated discussion on the Garrick Theatre. Originally named The Schiller, in reference to the famous German poet and playwright Friedrich Schiller, the building stood as a structural embodiment of social and cultural ideals. Two academics will join the conversation– Tom Goyens, Associate Professor of History at Salisbury University, and Andrei Pop, Professor, Committee on Social Thought, Art History at the University of Chicago.  Erected shortly after the Haymarket Riot which resulted in the conviction of five German immigrants, the theater was designed as an emblem of German heritage dedicated to the most innovative writers, composers, and artists across the Atlantic.

RSVP