Premiere Screening: Katharine Lee Bates and the Story of America the Beautiful
Presented by Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI)
March 21, 1-2:30 pm
Sarasota Art Museum, Ringling College Museum Campus, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236
$12 | 941-309-5111 • olliringlingcollege.org
With special guests John de Graaf (director and writer) and Laurence Cotton (producer). This new film examines the life of Katharine Lee Bates, poet, professor, and social reformer; an unsung hero best known for authoring America the Beautiful. America the Beautiful may be America’s most beloved song. It celebrates our natural beauty and makes a powerful appeal for justice, brotherhood, and inclusion. But few know about the fascinating life of Katharine Lee Bates. The first words of her poem America came to Bates as she surveyed the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains from the summit of Coloradoʼs Pikeʼs Peak on July 22, 1893. Her poem—transformed into a national hymn—captures the beauty of our land, and at the same time calls us to the “better angels of our nature.” This film tells that story.