Film Screening: Sitting Still with Laurie Olin

Sitting Still Film Poster showing Laurie Olin sitting in Central Park

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Event Description

SITTING STILL offers an intimate look into the mind of Laurie Olin, a brilliant and irreverent landscape architect dedicated to designing public spaces fostering democracy and equality. At a time when profit often outweighs people, Olin’s work stands as a testament to the power of landscape in addressing environmental crises and social divides.

From his frontier childhood in Alaska to his global experiences challenging conventional design, Olin’s journey fuels SITTING STILL—a compelling blend of artist portrait and social commentary. Through his insights and those of fellow visionaries, the film exposes flawed economic models and misguided policies, revealing how thoughtful design shapes the world—and why it matters.

Following the screening, Olin and director Gina Angelone will appear on stage for a conversation and Q&A. A reception will follow.

Speakers

Headshot of Laurie Olin in his officeLaurie Olin is a distinguished teacher, author, and one of the most renowned landscape architects practicing today. From vision to realization, he has guided many of OLIN’s signature projects, which span the history of the studio, from the Washington Monument Grounds in Washington, DC, to Bryant Park in New York City. His recent projects include the AIA-award-winning Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia and the Simon and Helen Director Park in Portland, Oregon.

Olin studied civil engineering at the University of Alaska and pursued architecture at the University of Washington, where Richard Haag encouraged him to focus on landscape. He is currently a practice professor of landscape architecture at the University of Pennsylvania, where he has taught for 40 years, and is the former chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture at Harvard University. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and a recipient of the 1998 Award in Architecture from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He is the recipient of the 2012 National Medal of Arts, the highest lifetime achievement award for artists and designers bestowed by the National Endowment for the Arts and the President of the United States. He also holds the 2011 American Society of Landscape Architects Medal, the society’s highest award for a landscape architect.

Gina Angelone headshot in color against black backgroundGina M. Angelone Born and raised in Philadelphia, Gina became a global citizen at age seventeen and has lived, worked, and traveled the world as a film director, producer, and writer. Gina’s TV work is the recipient of two Emmy awards and multiple nominations. Her documentaries have garnered top festival prizes and notable grants from the NEA, Philadelphia Foundation, William Penn Foundation, Graham Foundation, New York Women in Film, and The American Academy of Arts and Letters, among others. Credits include founding Producer of Bravoʼs “Inside the Actors Studio,” Writer/Director of the original series, “Defining Beauty” (Disney), and Writer/Producer/Director of feature documentaries “Connections” (PBS), “René & I,” (NBC), “Itʼs Better to Jump,” (Al Jazeera).

Harvard University welcomes individuals with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you would like to request accommodations or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact the Public Programs Office at (617) 496-2414 or [email protected] in advance of your participation or visit. Requests for American Sign Language interpreters and/or CART providers should be made at least two weeks in advance. Please note that the University will make every effort to secure services, but that services are subject to availability.

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