“Kalamazoo…and how it grew!”: A Model American City Tours Europe at Mid-Century

Kalamazoo…and How It Grew!

Discover a fascinating piece of Kalamazoo history and its surprising role on the international stage.

In the late 1950s, Kalamazoo-based Upjohn Pharmaceuticals partnered with the United States Information Agency to create “Kalamazoo…and How It Grew!”, an exhibition that traveled to major cities across Europe. Designed by Will Burtin in collaboration with Jack Masey of the USIA, the exhibition used the story of Kalamazoo to help communicate ideas about American life and democracy to audiences abroad.

During this talk, Dr. Christine Young-Kyung Hahn, professor of art history at Kalamazoo College, will explore how the exhibition came together, what it presented to international audiences, and how its design connected to the USIA’s broader cultural diplomacy efforts.

Dr. Hahn has taught art history at Kalamazoo College since 2008. Her research has taken her to archives around the world, and her scholarship has received support from organizations including the Fulbright Program and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

This is a hybrid event. Attendees may participate in person or watch the livestream online.