Thursday , February 12, 2026 at 5pm EST

Inspired by the current flurry of activity around Philadelphia-born artist Alexander Calder (1898-1976), this timely lecture offers a brief survey of the artist's career, including his trademark sculptural mobiles, large-scale public works, paintings, prints, and intricate jewelry. First, drawing on the revelatory exhibition High Wire: Calder's Circus at 100 presented this fall and winter at the Whitney Museum of American Art, we will examine the history behind the creation as well as presentations of Calder's Circus, a quirky but significant work made of everyday materials, including wood, wire, string, fabric, cork, and other found materials. Second, we will consider the newly inaugurated Calder Gardens, the latest addition to the incredible arts institutions that line Benjamin Franklin Parkway, such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Rodin Museum, and the Barnes Foundation. Here we will examine not only this uniquely conceived space created by architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron but also the ways in which this magical venue creates a dynamic conversation between art, architecture, nature, and the city that surrounds it.