Great Plains Olson Seminar celebrates Saskatchewan architecture

Released on 10/13/2014, at 2:00 AM
Office of University Communications
University of Nebraska–Lincoln

WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2014

WHERE: Great Plains Art Museum, 1155 Q Street

Lincoln, Neb., October 13th, 2014 —
Bernard Flaman (courtesy University of Regina Press)
Bernard Flaman (courtesy University of Regina Press)

            The rolling grasslands that flood through the Great Plains begin north of the border in Canada's Saskatchewan province. Similar geography, culture, flora and fauna connect the northern prairie to the rest of the Great Plains region.

            In the spring, author Bernard Flaman of Regina, Saskatchewan, won the 2014 Great Plains Distinguished Book Prize for his work, "Architecture of Saskatchewan: A Visual Journey, 1930-2011" -- the first Canadian author to win the prize. Flaman will travel to Lincoln to speak about his book and Great Plains architecture at the second Paul A. Olson lecture of the year at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 22. The Great Plains seminar series is produced by the Center for Great Plains Studies at the University of Nebraska.

            Flaman is a conservation architect, member of the Saskatchewan Association of Architects and member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. Flaman will expand on projects illustrated in the book and share thoughts on a possible future for Great Plains architecture.

            "Part of the (book) title includes the phrase, 'A Visual Journey,' and indeed the photographs and drawings contained in the book tell a major part of the story. Inevitably, they show the context, landscape, sky and light of the Great Plains as well as the architecture of the province of Saskatchewan,” Flaman said. "The best buildings in the book illustrate a material connection and a relationship with the landscape and environment of the Great Plains."

            Flaman will speak in the main gallery of the Great Plains Art Museum, 1155 Q St. The talk is free and open to the public. Audio of the lecture will be available online by Oct. 24. For more information, go to http://www.unl.edu/plains.

            Upcoming Olson Seminars:

Nov. 12, 3:30 p.m.: "Local Food on the Great Plains" features a panel of experts from the local food movement who will speak about the future local food and the challenges the Great Plains faces as the movement grows. Speakers will be accompanied by several local food producers who will sample food items and provide information about their operations.

Feb. 18, 3:30 p.m.: "State Taxes in the Great Plains" features John Anderson, Baird Family Professor of Economics at UNL, and Eric Thompson, director of the Bureau of Business Research at UNL's College of Business Administration.

Writer: Katie Nieland, Center for Great Plains Studies