Imagining America: Icons of 20th Century American Art

This two-hour film presents some of the most important American artists and their art in the context of the cultural and social transformations that defined the identity and nature of America in the 20th century.  Each section of the film examines a basic question: (1) how do American artists relate to nature and represent the world around us, (2) how do American artists represent themselves, and (3) how do American artists help us understand how mass media has transformed our sense of self and society. These questions are intended to stimulate the viewer to think about what makes us distinctly American through the work, ideas and lives of over fifty leading artists and scholars.

2003 / 120 min. / DVD / Color / © 2003 MUSE Film and Television, Inc. and Public Media, Inc.

Studio: Perry Films / Funny Garbage / MUSE Film and Television, Inc. / Public Media, Inc. / South Carolina Educational Television
Executive Producers: Charles Benton / John Carlin / Karl Katz
Associate Producer: Audrey Costadina
Coordinating Producer: Catherine Price
Producer: Hart Perry
Director: Hart Perry
Editor: Richard Lowe
Narrator: Peter Coyote

This film is currently unavailable for commercial distribution.

However, the film and accompanying educational lesson plans can be viewed at: www.ChicagoHumanities.org/Imagining-America