COLLECTION NAME:
Undergraduate Thesis Collection
Record
Title:
A Tangible Utopia: Representation and Omission at the Genesee Country Village and Museum
Creator:
Miller, Clara Laine Brockman
Subject:
Thesis (B.F.A.) -- Architectural History
Subject:
Savannah College of Art and Design -- Department of Architectural History
Rights:
Copyright is retained by the authors or artists of items in this collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Abstract:
"This thesis analyzes the cultural landscape of the Genesee Country Village and Museum (GCVM) as an accidental utopia. The analysis of the GCVM benefits from an understanding of the history of living history museums, the components of a cultural landscape, and the legacy of utopic virtual environments from which the GCVM springs. John Wehle, who founded the GCVM in the late 1960s, was responsible for shaping the GCVM into an accidental utopia. The utopic nature of this space provides visitors with an escape from the outside world, but it also misrepresents the past as ideal. The cultural landscapes, formed by the plan and built environment of the Museum and Village also contribute to this distortion of the past. Wehle's personal taste and pocketbook molded this curated space, which he hoped would represent the 'every town' of the Genesee Valley. The utopic ambiance of the Village is further advanced through the selective representations and omissions of class, race, faith, and gender." -- Abstract
Publisher:
Savannah, Georgia: Savannah College of Art and Design
Date:
2020-04
Format:
1 online resource: 1 PDF (Thesis, 64 pages, color illustrations, color maps)