Mount Rushmore is one of the most recognizable landmarks in America, but what does it mean, and who does it represent?
Join the Journey Museum for a special presentation with author Matthew Davis, whose new book, A Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore, explores the history, significance, and ongoing conversations surrounding the iconic memorial.
Drawing from his research, Davis will discuss how Mount Rushmore came to be built in the Black Hills, the people behind its creation, and the challenges faced during its construction. More importantly, he will invite attendees to consider broader questions about monuments and memory: What is a memorial? Who is it for? What stories does it tell? And why are memorials placed where they are?
Part presentation and part community conversation, this program offers an opportunity to reflect on one of the region's most recognizable landmarks and its place in American history and culture.
Date: Thursday, August 13
Time: 6:00 p.m.
This event is free to attend, no RSVP required.
Matthew Davis is the author of A Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore. His previous books are When Things Get Dark: A Mongolian Winter’s Tale, and the children’s book The Magic Horse Fiddle. His essays and journalism have appeared in the New Yorker, the Atlantic, Slate, the Los Angeles Review of Books and Guernica, among other places. He’s been an Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fellow at New America, a Fellow at the Black Mountain Institute at UNLV, and a Fulbright Fellow to Syria and Jordan. He holds an MFA in nonfiction writing from the University of Iowa and an MA in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He founded the Cheuse Center for International Writers at George Mason University in 2016 and was its founding director from 2016-2023.