The LeS County Ledger
Wednesday, November 20,2019 - Page 1C
FAMILY FEATURES
t’s important today to find ways to connect with others to help
deepen your understanding of those around you. In a time when
differences seem to dominate today’s culture, it can help to find
similarities, draw connections and bridge worlds.
From community leaders and organizations to embassies and consulates,
cultural events and programs are popping up in communities across the
country in unexpected ways. For example, Germany is wrapping up a
year-long campaign called Wunderbar Together, a Year of German-
American Friendship that was designed to bring diplomacy from
Washington’s K street to America’s main streets. This effort, funded
by the German Federal Foreign Office, implemented by the Goethe-
Institut and supported by the Federation of German Industries (BDI),
brought together more than 400 partners in an effort to strengthen
existing networks while also bringing more Americans into the
dialogue about the German-American relationship.
“The German-American friendship is built on myriad personal
connections that span the Atlantic — centuries-old family ties and new
friendships, twin towns and sister cities and friendships between schools
and universities,” said German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
“Recently, thanks to Wunderbar Together, many people in the two
countries have added thousands of new snapshots depicting this
friendship - pictures that were taken pretty much every second at more
than 2,000 events in all 50 states.”
The campaign reached 560 communities. On top of the more than
1 million attendees reached in-person, Wunderbar Together also built
a multifaceted, strong digital presence that engaged 10.1 million users
online and secured approximately 235 million impressions across
traditional media and owned social media channels.
Events and opportunities that bring together communities and
cultures is not unique to this campaign. For example, people in
communities across the country experience other cultures through
initiatives like sister city programs, cultural moments like Chinese
New Year and food festivals in cities like Chicago exploring
everything from Polish to Puerto Rican delicacies. If you’re looking
for ideas to introduce your family to other cultures, keep an eye out
for opportunities like these in your own community:
Cultural festivals and traveling exhibits. Events that celebrate the
traditions of a particular group, country or region take place all over
the country. Cultural festivals and traveling exhibits can provide a
unique perspective on a specific subject and offer the opportunity
to sample traditional foods, hear unfamiliar languages and observe
games or demonstrations for various crafts and skills. For example,
the Wunderbar Together PopUp Tour combined a culture tent with
mobile presentation modules and various flexible pop-up edutainment
elements. Programs ranged from business conferences, science slams,
art exhibits and concerts to interactive, student-focused events. Guests
got to taste authentic German food, watch live streams of Germany’s
premier professional soccer league, learn from a decked-out WanderbUS
equipped with German language activities and get immersed in the arts
and sciences through events like “Science is Fun” and Circus Mojo
workshops. You can expect to learn a great deal about a culture while
you see and experience it first-hand.
Museums. A more formal setting like a museum offers a wealth of
information with displays, artifacts and often a deep look at the history
of a subject, such as a historical event, location or population. Museums
continually update their collections, and new programs and lectures
can help give you insight into new artists, cultures and traditions. For
example, a new exhibition at the New Museum in New York City, “Hans
Haacke: All Connected,” is one way to experience the work of a German
artist in the United States. In addition to identifying museums that pique
your interest in your own community, be sure to look into museums you
might be able to visit when you’re traveling for business or pleasure, as
well as rotating installations through museums’ temporary exhibit spaces.
Historical landmarks. All over the world, there are landmarks dedicated
to explaining pivotal moments in history and the ways these events
affected the people and communities nearby. Some landmarks are as
basic as a monument on the side of a highway while others are entire
buildings dedicated to explaining the impact of a single event or series
of events. Monuments and historical landmarks can also serve as public
convening areas and place for events. For example, to kick off the
Year of German-American Friendship, four-time break-dance world
champions from Berlin, The Flying Steps, held a special performance
at one of the nation’s most iconic landmarks: the Lincoln Memorial.
The “b-boy” crew combined break-dancing with the music of Johann
Sebastian Bach for a one-of-a-kind performance in the nation’s capital.
Restaurants and food trucks. Food may be the way to win over
someone’s heart, but it’s also a way to understand another culture.
Learning about traditional dishes and customs surrounding such an
essential aspect of daily life can give you a strong sense of the values and
a literal flavor for an unfamiliar lifestyle. The explosion of food trucks,
many of which offer traditional foods from countries around the world,
provide opportunities to sample food you may never have had access to
before. Some food trucks are even designed to do just that - such as the
Wiesn in a Box truck that is part of the Wunderbar Together campaign,
which is a Bauhaus-themed pretzel and Hofbrau beer cart that sets up a
mobile Oktoberfest-inspired beer garden in cities across the country.
Performance arts and film. Artistic expression can be found among
virtually every community. From theater and dance to art gallery shows
and musical concerts, there’s essentially no shortage of ways to connect
communities through the arts. Attending shows or watching films that
emphasize cultural education and celebrate diverse perspectives can
help open your mind and teach you about new subjects or cultures. Film
festivals are a way to experience new types of movies and directors, such
as the annual German Currents Film Festival that has become a fixture
on the cultural calendar in Los Angeles and is known for screening
films from Germany, ranging from art-house films to blockbusters and
children’s matinees to late-night movies.
A Calendar of
Cultural Events
Find a chance to experience German culture
with these Wunderbar Together events in cities
nationwide through the end of the year. More
details can be found at WunderbarTogether.org.
WanderbUS Visit
■ Hampshire High School, Romney, West
Virginia, Nov. 8
■ Marquette High School, Chesterfield,
Missouri, Nov. 13
■ Olathe South High School, Olathe, Kansas,
Nov. 15
■ Springdale High School, Springdale,
Arkansas, Nov. 18
Gewandhaus Orchestra
The Gewandhaus Orchestra Chamber music
ensemble will perform at Goethe Popup
events including:
■ 1900 Building, Mission Woods, Kansas,
Nov. 6
■ St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, St. Paul,
Minnesota, Nov. 8
■ National Gallery of Art - West Building,
Washington, D.C., Nov. 10
Goethe-Institut Washington Grand
Reopening Event
■ Goethe-Institut Washington, D.C., Nov. 6
Goethe-Institut Los Angeles
Opening Event
■ Goethe-Institut Los Angeles, Nov. 8
Opening of the “The Medea
Insurrection: Radical Women Artists
Behind the Iron Curtain” Exhibit
■ The Wende Museum, Culver City,
California, Nov. 10
Closing Conference of “Mississippi:
An Anthropocene River”
■ Tulane University, New Orleans, Nov. 10-16
