# Event Details - **Event Name**: Michael Workman: Writing as Cultural Archaeology and the Poetics of Place - **Event Start and End Date**: Sat, 26 Sep, 2026 at 01:00 pm – Sat, 26 Sep, 2026 at 02:30 pm (-05:00) - **Event Description**: Join us for a special lecture by Michael Workman, a new Road Scholar. Presented in partnership with the Road Scholars Speakers Bureau.About this EventMichael Workman: Writing as Cultural Archaeology and the Poetics of PlaceSeptember 26, 20261:00-2:30pmDoors at 12:30pmAbout:In this program, artist and writer Michael Workman invites audiences to explore how writing, history, and landscape intersect to shape cultural memory. Drawing from his interdisciplinary practice and from the work of artists such as Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, Johanna Drucker, and Charles Reznikoff, Workman approaches writing as a form of cultural archaeology—an excavation of the layered relationships between language, identity, and place. Through this lens, participants are encouraged to see the local environment not only as a backdrop but as a living archive of stories, gestures, and voices that continue to inform community life across Illinois.Blending storytelling, performance, and reflective discussion, Workman leads participants through accessible exercises that connect observation, movement, and writing. Each session begins with a short reading or performance excerpt that frames the concept of “poetic fieldwork,” followed by guided writing prompts and group dialogue. Participants may be asked to respond to local landmarks, historical artifacts, or personal memories of place, using language to uncover how geography shapes emotion and thought. Whether held in a library, museum, or community center, each presentation adapts to its surroundings, creating a shared space for conversation and collective discovery.By the end of the program, attendees will have produced short fragments of writing and new ways of perceiving their environment—connecting artistic practice to civic imagination.Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the Illinois General Assembly [through the Illinois Arts Council Agency], as well as by contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations. https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events2/banners/cb224250-a80c-11f1-a4a1-eb59356bc08b-rimg-w740-h740-dc080808-gmir.jpg Michael Workman is a Chicago-based artist, writer, and sociocultural critic whose work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Guardian US, Newcity, and WBEZ Chicago Public Radio, among other publications. He is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Bridge (bridge-chicago.org), a nonprofit publishing and programming organization founded in 1999. Workman also serves as Development Officer for the Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America and Development Coordinator at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA), where his grant writing has secured major awards, including the Andy Warhol Foundation’s Wynn Kramarsky Freedom of Artistic Expression Award and the 2024 state recognition of Ukrainian Village as a cultural district.His writing and performance work explore the intersections of language, movement, and place. His publications include Propositional Attitudes (Golden Spike Press) and (StepSister Press), launched with performances at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Recent performances include Active Investigation (Neubauer Collegium, 2023). He is a 2025 Illinois Arts Council Creative Projects Grant and Rabkin Foundation Travel Grant recipient, the 2025 Joan and Peter Hood Artist-in-Residence at Allerton Park, and a 2026–27 Illinois Humanities Road Scholar. https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events3/banners/cb366690-a80c-11f1-a4a1-eb59356bc08b-rimg-w1200-h350-dc486848-gmir.png This lecture is presented in partnership with the Road Scholars Speakers Bureau of the Illinois Humanities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDlgtt8umWw&t=8s - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/chicago/michael-workman-writing-as-cultural-archaeology-and-the-poetics-of-place/100001984587086399 - **Event Categories**: art, fine-arts, literary-art, it, storytelling - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 - **Event Highlights**: - Age Limit: all_ages - door_time: 2026-09-26T17:30:00Z - Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes - Location: International Museum of Surgical Science - Languages: English ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 0, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: Chicago - **state**: IL - **country**: United States - **location**: International Museum of Surgical Science - **lat**: 41.910292 - **long**: -87.62655000000001 - **full address**: International Museum of Surgical Science, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Michael Workman: Writing as Cultural Archaeology and the Poetics of Place - **Image URL**: https://dyn-image.allevents.in/generate-image?v=4&title=Michael+Workman%3A+Writing+as+Cultural+Archaeology+and+the+Poetics+of+Place&date=Sat%2C+26+Sep%2C+2026+at+01%3A00+pm&bg=5 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Michael Workman: Writing as Cultural Archaeology and the Poetics of Place being held? - **A:** Michael Workman: Writing as Cultural Archaeology and the Poetics of Place takes place on Sat, 26 Sep, 2026 at 01:00 pm to Sat, 26 Sep, 2026 at 02:30 pm at International Museum of Surgical Science, 1524 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing Michael Workman: Writing as Cultural Archaeology and the Poetics of Place? - **A:** Michael Workman: Writing as Cultural Archaeology and the Poetics of Place is organized by International Museum of Surgical Science. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Michael Workman: Writing as Cultural Archaeology and the Poetics of Place is ideal for art lovers, collectors, creatives, and anyone inspired by visual arts, installations, and exhibitions. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Chicago, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. 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