August @ The Wolfsonian-FIU‏

The Dynamo Museum Shop Spotlight: Propaganda Products by Crispin Porter +Bogusky

Can't get enough of the Thoughts on Democracy exhibit, but don't have enough wall space for a poster? Check out these Thoughts on Democracy inspired products created by Crispin Porter + Bogusky, one of the exhibition contributors. Exclusively on sale at The Wolfsonian's Dynamo Museum Shop and Café, these interactive products stimulate your creativity in thinking about your own "thoughts on democracy."

To purchase one of these items, visit The Dynamo at The Wolfsonian-FIU or contact the museum shop manager at paola@thewolf.fiu.edu or 305.535.2680.


Above: Political Post-it® Notes
If only it were this easy to get the candidates to echo your exact thoughts and sentiments. These quirky illustrated Post-it® Notes feature Presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain with blank word bubbles. That's where you come in. Use them to create your own spirited political debate between the Democratic and Republican sparring partners. But please, use them responsibly. The last thing we want to encourage is making a complete mockery of our nation's sacred democratic process. Dynamo Price: $10.00

Opposite: Thoughts on Democracy Ad Lib Pads
Building on the interactive nature of the fill-in-the-blank Star Spangled Banner poster (and because of its overwhelming popularity) CP+B has created a portable note pad version so you can have a little fun with democracy anywhere, anytime. Just gather ye patriot friends, and throw a late night ad lib karaoke party. "Oh, say can you blank by the dawn's early light?" Dynamo Price: $5.00

To contribute to the conversation on democracy, and to learn more about the Thoughts on Democracy exhibit, visit
www.thoughtsondemocracy.blogspot.com

CALENDAR

WOLF BOOK CLUB
Be a part of The Wolfsonian's book club! We explore literary works whose subjects are relevant to current exhibitions and collection themes. Participants are expected to have read the selection in its entirety and have toured Art and Design in the Modern Age prior to the discussion. To join or to RSVP: 305.535.2644 or education@thewolf.fiu.edu. Free.

Friday, August 1, 7pm
CONTINENTAL OP STORIES by Dashiell Hammett (1923-1930)—This collection of short stories features a tough, unsympathetic detective named Continental Op—a memorable character who became the prototype for generations of crime fiction heroes.

SUMMER FILM SERIES
CINEMATIC DETOURS: ROAD MOVIES
The "road movies" genre has much to tell us about national identity. The films in our annual summer series, while depicting the personal crises and transformations of their characters, offer us a valuable lens into the culture and times in which they were produced. The films are screened each Thursday in August at 7pm and introduced by University of Miami film studies scholars. Presented with the Cultural Services of the Embassy of France/Miami Chapter at the Consulate General. Free for members and students; $10 all others.

Thursday, August 7, 7pm
THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940, USA, John Ford, 100 min, b&w, 16mm)—An Okie family that loses its farm during the Great Depression takes to the road, traveling Route 66 as migrant workers. They journey from the Dust Bowl to California in search of work and opportunity. One of the first movies included in the National Film Registry and based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by John Steinbeck.

Thursday, August 14, 7pm
GUN CRAZY (1949, USA, Joseph Lewis, 86 min, b&w, 16mm)—This low-budget "B" noir depicts a deadly crime spree perpetrated by a newly married Second World War veteran fixated on guns and a female six-shooter who's an ex-carnival performer. The pair go together like "guns and ammunition." The film, noteworthy for remarkable location shooting, includes a celebrated bank heist sequence that plays out in one long take. Deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress in 1998, it was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

Thursday, August 21, 7pm
TWO LANE BLACKTOP (1971, USA, Monte Hellman, 103 min, b&w, DVD)—A time capsule of Route 66 during the pre-Interstate Highway era, this poetic and minimalistic cult classic has a reputation as one of the greatest American road movies of all time. The film's controversial story is about a race driver and a mechanic who live on the road in their 1955 Chevy, encounter a mysterious hitchhiker, and end up in a cross-country race going east on Route 66.

Thursday, August 28, 7pm

PIERROT LE FOU (1969, France, Jean Luc Godard, 110 min., French with English subtitles, DVD)—This film is the tale of the unorthodox life of Pierrot, the annoying nickname given to unhappily-married Ferdinand Griffon by his babysitter/ex-girlfriend, Marianne Renoir. He leaves his wife and children and flees with Marianne only to find himself chased by Algerian gangsters in a traveling crime spree from Paris to the Mediterranean. Like much pop art of the time, the film uses visuals drawn from cartoons and employs an intentionally garish visual aesthetic based on bright primary colors. Copresented with the Consulat général de France á Miami.

TOUR
Friday, August 29, 6pm
DECO AND DESIGN TOUR—This two-hour adventure begins with a walking tour of the Art Deco District, then moves inside to explore The Wolfsonian's collection. The tour focuses on New Deal architecture and the exhibition A Bittersweet Decade: The New Deal in America, 1933-43, on view at The Wolfsonian. Presented with the Miami Design Preservation League. Limited to 20. RSVP and advance ticket purchase required by August 25: 305.535.2644 or education@thewolf.fiu.edu. Tour begins and ends at The Wolfsonian. $10 for members; $20 all others.

TOURS
Each Thursday and Friday, 6pm
Consider how an array of historical, cultural, and political trends inspired design of the machine age with a guided exhibition tour each Thursday and Friday night at 6pm. Friday tours are free.