Archive

SUMMER WORK TRAVEL 2024 - VISA INFORMATION SESSION

Each summer, more than 1,500 Czech university students head to the United States for a fantastic experience: Summer Work Travel (SWT). 

PAINT IT PINK

Martina Formanová was married to famous Czech-American film director Miloš Forman. In her diary-style novel she wrote about the weeks and months after he has passed away; from fighting the emptiness, her first attempts to succeed as a stand-up comedian, to looking for new way of life. She also reflects on her childhood in Brno and her new start in the U.S. 

In Czech. RSVP by filling out the form below.

SUMMER OF 2023 IN AMERICA: INFORMATION SEMINAR ABOUT SUMMER WORK AND TRAVEL

Are you a college student? Are you thinking about plans for summer? How about going to America? You could beef up your CV and earn money for travels – you can go anywhere in the U.S. you want to see!  

On November 2, American Center Prague will host an information seminar about Summer Work and Travel (SWT). You can join us in person, or virtually via Zoom and Instagram Live.

You will learn everything you need to know about this incredible exchange program. Hear from students who participated in the program. Agency representatives will share best practices about finding a good job. Embassy staff will answer your questions about how to obtain the visa.

In Czech. If you would like to join via Zoom here is the link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87624611092?pwd=RTgrSlFGT04xSzYrbTVJYUd3ZE9wUT09, Passcode: rG09TD.

This Very Tree - a Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth

As part of the events commemorating the 20th anniversary of the attacks on 9/11, we would like to invite you and your children to listen a story read by Laura Manahan, the wife of New York City firefighter Jim Manahan, who responded to the attack on the World Trade Center. A bilingual reading of the children’s book will take place at the Municipal Library in Prague.

In Czech and English. RSVP through September 6 at acprague@state.gov.

Towers. 9/11 Story

As part of the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the American Center will host the launch of English and audio versions of the book Towers 9/11/ Story.    The touching novel, written by Czech author Jiří Boudník, is a love letter of sorts to  New York City, its people, and its magnificent skyline.    Boudník was in New York that fateful day twenty years ago, and responded to the collapse of the twin towers.    Joining him for the event will be former Czech Ambassador to the U.S.  Petr Kolář and film director Jan Hřebejk.  NYFD officer Tiernach Cassidy will also participate in the discussion.

All attendees  must present either negative COVID test, vaccination certificate or declare they contracted  COVID-19 within the past six months.

In Czech and English. RSVP through September 6 at acprague@state.gov.

Farm Security Administration 1935-1943 | Photo Exhibition

Exhibition of photographs of the Farm Security Administration’s photographic documentation project that became a legend and a model for the systematic photographic documentation.

Most of the photographs taken under the Farm Security Administration and Office o War Information projects are today part of the joint FSA/OWI collection of the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. The collection contains almost 175,000 negatives from the two projects. 250 photographs by 18 FSA photographers were selected and reprinted for the exhibiton in the Great Synagogue in Pilsen in 2016.

Authors: Dorothea Lange, Russel Lee, Jack Delano, Walker Evans, Arthur Rothstein, Marion Post Wolcott, Ben Shahn, Carl Mydans, Theodor Jung, Roy Stryker, John Vachon, Edwin a Louise Rosskamovi, Edwin Locke, Arthur Siegel, John Collier, Marjory Collins, Gordon Parks.

Organizers: O. s. Pro Photo a Židovská obec Plzeň

The exhibition is being held under the auspices of the U.S. Embassy Prague.

Janet Echelman: Art, Tradition, Technology — Lecture

Lecture by American artist Janet Echelman who presents her installation at the SIGNAL Festival.

This spectacular seven-meter installation by American artist Janet Echelman creates an expansive net that floats in an ethereal manner over the heads of the viewer. This combination of monumental forms with apparently light materials creates an unconventional conceptual canvas for a play of light created by variable waves of contrasting colours.

The concept of the work is inspired by the interconnectedness of terrestrial phenomena and systems. The artist used data from NASA laboratories (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the USA) and NOAA (the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) related to the effects of the 2010 earthquake in Chile, which caused the shortening of Earth days by 1.26 microseconds. The shape of the net is defined by the various heights of Tsunami waves across the ocean.

Visually and conceptually this engaging installation invites not only festival visitors but passing pedestrians to pause and contemplate.

American artist Janet Echelman excels in all categories and definitions. Her unique sculptures and installations on a monumental scale change depending on the effects of wind, water or light. Echelman became inspired in India by the lives of local fishermen, and she began using unusual materials for her installations, such as fishing nets. In her work, she combines traditional crafts with the latest technology, and she cooperates with experts from various fields, ranging from aviation engineering to rural architecture and light design.

She has been awarded several times for her work by the professional public. She earned the prestigious Guggenheim and Fulbright scholarship as well as several other important prizes and recognitions, in recent years, for example, from the Smithsonian Institute, the Society of Architects in Boston and the Aspen Institute.

Prague Quadrennial 2015

The Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space is the largest scenography event in the world that explores a wide range of scenographic practices – from stage design and costume design to lighting design, sound design and new scenographic practices such as site-specific, applied scenography, urban performance, costume as performance, and much more.

Since 1967 Prague Quadrennial every four years explores and presents the most up-to-date trends in the field of performance design and architecture of the performing space. The core of this international event consists of exhibitions from more than 60 countries from all over the world.

Since 2009 the Prague Quadrennial has organized activities to supplement the main events, including exhibitions, symposia and workshops. The program includes performances, educational events and residencies to promote an international platform for exploring the theory, practice and education of contemporary scenography as an expanded field.

The upcoming 13th edition of the Prague Quadrennial (PQ’15) will take place from 18 to 28 June. The main theme will be SharedSpace: Music Weather Politics. The aim of PQ’15 is to make invisible scenography – environments that deeply affect us, despite being intangible – visible.

Apart from the traditional, competitive Section of Countries and Regions and Student Section, PQ’15 will also include the Performing Space section, focusing on architecture. Specialties of PQ’15 are the Objects, Makers and Tribes accompanying exhibitions and live events, which will be held in galleries and public spaces in the centre of Prague.

PQ’15 will also include the traditional student performances in the streets and theatres of Prague, which this year will carry the title Zlomvaz Festival as part of the SpaceLab educational project. Lectures, discussions and SpaceLab workshops with leading world experts from theatre and the arts will form a major part of PQ’15.

PQ is a platform bringing together as many as 5,000 theatre professionals and students, as well as more than 50,000 visitors from all over the world.

reSITE 2014: Cities and Landscapes of the New Economy

Join more than 50 international participants and over 500 guests at the brand new Forum Karlin. As in 2012 and 2013, we will debate the architecture, politics, finance and community participation with the world’s best experts in urban economy, design and development. We will promote more quality, openness and transparency in the planning process in Central European cities and shine an international light on the new metropolitan plan of Prague.

reSITE 2014 CONFERENCE THEMES: Strategic Planning and the Public Forum Community Resiliency, City for All Density and Development Industrial Past: Innovative Future Among the international guests, Edward Glaeser — the pioneering Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics at Harvard and best selling author of "Triumph of the City," Michael Kimmelman, chief architecture critic of The New York Times and two other internationally-renown leaders (soon to be announced) will give keynote addresses. reSITE 2014 KEY PARTICIPANTS: 
Michael Kimmelman [Chief Architecture Critic • The New York Times • NYC] / Edward Glaeser [Economist, Harvard University • Cambridge] / Rem Koolhaas* [OMA • Rotterdam] / Tomas Hudecek [Mayor • Prague] / Eugene Asse [Moscow School of Architecture • Moscow] / Adam Greenfield [Urbanscale & London School of Economics • NYC & London] / Jan Ludvik [Karlin Group • Prague] / Margaret Newman [Chief of Staff for Jannette Sadik-Khan • NYC Transportation] / Tomas Ctibor [Director • Institute of Planning and Developmen • Prague] / Pavel Hnilicka [City Development Authority • Prague] / Michael Brown [CEO • Calgary Municipal Development Authority • Calgary] / Jon Gnarr* [Mayor • Reykjavik] / Petr Palicka [Penta Investments • Prague] / Henk Ovink [Senior Advisor to Secretary Donovan • Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force • Washington D.C.] / Andrey Grinev [Artkartel • Moscow] / Sandor Finta [Chief Architect • Budapest] / MAXWAN [Architects • Rotterdam]* / Mark Johnson [ Founder • CIVITAS • Denver] WHY COME? 500 smart people will also be there! • Forum Karlin. reSITE 2014 will be the first conference held in the new events center in Karlin, one of the most exciting districts in Prague. • The most innovative event about planning, architecture, urban landscape architecture and environmental economics in Central and Eastern Europe • See the world’s top architects, landscape architects, developers, economists, NGOs and politicians debate livable cities • Learn about the state-of-the-art in sustainability, planning and landscape architecture • Enjoy personal meetings and network with other VIPs
 • Architects, Engineers, Urbanists, Landscape Architects: see what’s happening abroad and how architecture and planning works in other countries • Developers & Economists: learn the most progressive ideas and financing models. Meet the politicians, ask them questions in a safe forum
> NGOs: be active and enlivened with collaborative and controversial discussions • Get inspired. reTHINK your city! REGISTER EARLY! Register prior to 31 March for 10% off. All registrations after 12 June subject to 15% increase in price (over the regular cost). Register early! At reSITE, we aim to encourage changes in city planning strategies to focus primarily on public space, waterfronts and urban mobility as a means to a city that can compete regionally and globally. Download information brochure from here. Please feel free to share this information with your colleagues and friends! As in 2012 and 2013, the conference will sell out quickly. Follow #reSITE2014 for all information about the conference such as themes, speakers, projects and interviews – on Facebook, Tumblr & Twitter.