Wednesday, August 12 | 6:30–7:30 pm | Zoom

Registration opens on August 5, 2020

Created in a year-long partnership with Artes de México en Utah, the UMFA presents a unique series of classes designed to explore Mexican history through art. The series consists of three sessions in June, July, and August, each with a unique artistic focus. Taught by Susan Vogel and Fanny Guadalupe Blauer, the final lesson in August will focus on Manifest Destiny.

During the nineteenth century, the belief that the United States had a divine obligation to expand democracy and capitalism across the entire North American continent emerged as the driving force for settlers in the U.S. to move westward, spreading their traditions and beliefs. The iconic painting American Progress by John Gast (1872) depicts the authority of continental acquisition by the United States government. In this presentation we explore, through art, how Manifest Destiny has shaped different perceptions in the U.S. and in Mexico.