The “Problematics of Culture and Theory” Seminar, held by the School of English at Aristotle University, will be hosting an online talk by Professor Kate Ogden on Wednesday, 30th April, 2025, at 16.30 (16.30-17.45)
The title of the online talk is:
'California as Kingdom Come'
The talk will take place via the Zoom platform. All those interested in attending via zoom, please submit the relevant registration form. The zoom link details for the event will be sent by email on the eve of the talk to all those who have registered for online participation.
In person attendance of the talk will be possible, but only a limited number of participants will be able to attend in person. If you are interested in attending the talk in person, please email Dr. Roupakia at roupakia@enl.auth.gr.
The particular event is organized as part of the AUTh-Stockton University bilateral MOU agreement.
Problematics Seminar Coordinators:
Dr L.E. Roupakia (roupakia@enl.auth.gr) and Dr Ε. Botonaki (botonaki@enl.auth.gr)
EVENT ABSTRACT
California has been a subject of fascination for American painters and others ever since Anglo-Americans began to arrive in the 1840s. Immigration to the region increased as a result of the Gold Rush of 1849. Some unsuccessful “forty-niners” turned to careers in art, while better-trained painters began to arrive after completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869. Thomas Moran and Albert Bierstadt are among the East Coast painters who sketched and painted the thirty-first state’s spectacular scenery. California has been called the “Golden State” because of its gold, its natural beauty, and the golden poppies that bloom in the spring. When first discovered by white settlers, the area seemed an Edenic location with its mild climate and abundant produce. Yosemite Valley, a fascinating site hidden in the Sierra Nevada mountains, also resembled a literal small Eden. The term “Kingdom Come,” a Biblical reference to God’s kingdom in Heaven, conveyed the idea that the Golden State was a reward for its white immigrants. In the era of Manifest Destiny – the belief that North America was God’s reward for the white settlers who tamed its wilderness – California and Yosemite Valley were considered a reward for Anglo-American settlers.
GUEST SPEAKER
Professor Kate Ogden received her Ph.D. in art history with a focus on American art from Columbia University, New York. Since 1991 she has worked at Stockton University in Galloway, New Jersey, where she teaches the two-semester art history survey in addition to specialized courses on American art, modern art, and the history of photography. Professor Ogden has published articles and essays on nineteenth and twentieth century painting and photography, including a book, Yosemite (Reaktion Books, London) and a major essay, “California as Kingdom Come,” in Yosemite: Art of an American Icon (Autry Museum of Western Heritage, Los Angeles).
