We the People features a special gallery for contemplation. Handcrafted benches and images from
American quilts are part of the ambiance.
We the People at the Tang offers events to foster an informed citizenry
October 22, 2012
At a time when many Americans are disillusioned with politics and government, and
against the backdrop of this fall’s heated presidential election campaigns, Skidmore’s
Tang Museum is offering an opportunity for visitors to step back and re-engage with
their Constitution and renew their sense of citizenship.
The Tang exhibition We the People is a dynamic laboratory for exploring constitutions—the U.S. Constitution in particular—as lived processes, examining the way these documents create order, configure communities, and form collective identities.
Events related to We the People address such themes such as citizenship, community, the state of political discourse,
voting and elections, technology and the Constitution, and more.
Below are event highlights through December. For a full listing of Tang events go
to www.Skidmore.edu/tang.
Tuesday, October 23, 7:00 pm
"Balancing Perspectives: An Informed-Voter Panel"
Skidmore professors will present information on the presidential and party positions
on a wide range of issues including religion, gender and family, healthcare, immigration,
foreign policy, environmental issues, and social programs. Government Professor Ron
Seyb will moderate.
Thursday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m.
Panel Discussion: “The Informed Voter, Continued: What Affects the Latino Community
Affects Us All”
Students from Raíces and the Spanish Club will present the presidential and party
positions on issues important to the Latino community and will facilitate audience
discussion.
Tuesday Nov. 6, 5:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.
What to Expect When You’re Expecting the Election, and Election Returns Extravaganza
Professor Seyb will lead a discussion on the battle for the swing states, followed
by live coverage of the election returns on multiple screens. Event includes refreshments,
contests, balloons, and more.
Thursday, Nov. 15, 7 p.m.
Lecture: “Can the Constitution Cope with Our Polarized Politics?
”
The talk will be given by Paul Pierson, the John Gross Professor of Political Science
at the University of California at Berkley and co-author of Off-Center: The Republican Revolution and the Erosion of American Democracy.
Tuesday Nov. 27, 7 p.m.
Discussion: “The Return on the Returns: Two Different Views”
The event will feature Erica Seifert ’02, senior associate at Greenberg Quinlan Rosner,
and Benjamin Clarke ’01, political consultant and freelance writer. Seifert specializes
in American politics and elections, voter participation, and U.S. economic issues.
Her clients include National Public Radio, Women's Voices.Women Vote, Public Campaign
Action Fund, and the Campaign for America’s Future. Clarke has worked in Washington,
D.C. as a political consultant and speechwriter and served as chief political writer
for GOP strategist Frank Luntz, speechwriter for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist,
and communications consultant for Rudy Giuliani's 2008 presidential campaign.
Sunday, Dec. 9, 2 p.m.
Film: “All the King’s Men” (1949, dir. by Robert Rossen)
Film screening and discussion lead by Natalie Taylor, associate professor of government,
and Jennifer Delton, professor of history
We the People is co-organized by Ian Berry, Malloy Curator at the Tang Museum, and Rachel Seligman,
associate curator, in consultation with Beau Breslin, interim dean of the faculty
and professor of government. The exhibition will be celebrated along with all of the
Tang’s fall shows in a reception on October 20, from 6-7:30 p.m.
The Tang Museum is open 12 noon–5 p.m., Tuesday–Sunday, closed on Mondays and major
holidays, and open until 9 p.m. on Thursdays. Now entering its 12th year, the Tang
hosts some 40,000 visitors annually, ranging from local students who visit through
programs with area schools to museum-goers from around the globe. For more information
call (518) 580-8080 or visit the Tang Web site.
