“In the early 1950s, Pruitt-Igoe, a vast public housing project, arose on 57 acres on the near north side of St. Louis. Barely 20 years after construction, the 33 eleven-story buildings that made up the complex were razed, and the vacant land that was once home to thousands of people was gradually reclaimed by a dense, neglected urban forest. What happened in-between is a story that tempts but also defies simple narratives. It is a story of interweaving and competing accounts, both then and now.” - from Images of America: Pruitt-Igoe
This tour will be led by St. Louis native, Bob Hansman, associate professor and a faculty fellow of the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at Washington University in St. Louis. In the early 1990s, he founded—and still directs, with his son Jovan—City Faces and the Jermaine Lamond Roberts Memorial Studio, in the Clinton-Peabody public housing project. Locally, he has received a Rosa Parks Award and a Dred Scott Freedom Award for his work.
For background on this tour, please watch the trailer for the documentary,
The Pruitt-Igoe Myth.50% of ticket sales for this site visit will support City Faces and the Jermaine Lamond Roberts Memorial Studio.
We will provide shuttle transportation for all site visits that depart and return to the shuttle stop at Harris-Stowe State University. Please arrive at least 10 minutes before your departure time to check in and board the bus.
Tickets are $20. Advanced ticket purchase is required at commonbound.eventbrite.com. Tickets may not be purchased on the bus.
