Mildred’s Lane / Renovating Walden

An immersive and participatory installation spearheaded by noted American artists J. Morgan Puett and Mark Dion, exploring the meanings, readings, and mis-readings that Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden” has spawned. The installation functions as a kind of stage set that is animated by an extensive program of mid-day and early evening topical conversations, modeled after the 19th century lyceum, that are open to the public and featuring many members of the Tufts faculty from across the division of Arts & Sciences. A “re-enactment” of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s parlor serves as the setting for open class sessions of a variety of Tufts courses. One authentic replica of Thoreau’s cabin will be built first in September/October, followed by an inspired response to it in the form of a second cabin built inside the Gallery.