The Bob Graham Center for Public Service provides a wide variety of programs for students and the larger public on topics related to public service, public leadership and civic engagement.
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Home in the City: The Art and Science of Urban Living
February 8 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
What makes a city feel inviting, a place to call home? We were joined on Feb. 8 at 5:30 in the Ocora by three dynamic professionals from anthropology, art, and cultural placemaking who addressed urban design and its civic challenges.
Our speakers share a commitment to addressing environmental and social issues through design. Explore the nexus of art, environment, and societal well-being, and learn how city beautification and hospitality practices can enrich our culture and foster community belonging.
Our panelists were:
Cady Gonzalez was awarded the Bob Graham Center doctoral dissertation completion fellowship for her research into how the government of Ethiopia uses practices of hospitality to clean its rapidly urbanizing capital city. She is now a visiting assistant professor at Rollins College in Florida.
sTo Len, a performance/sound artist based in Queens, New York. During his fellowship as the Public Artist in Residence at the Department of Sanitation in NY, he innovated ways to use art to promote change and appreciation for the work of the city’s trash collectors.
Sherry Dobbin is a cultural and placemaking consultant now based in London. She has more than 35 years experience helping communities embed arts and culture into daily life. From 2012-2016 she served as creative director for Times Square Alliance in New York City.
The panel was moderated by Dr. Brenda Chalfin, a professor of anthropology and African studies at the University of Florida.