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Wellesley '71 Speaker Series: Wellesley's Landscape

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Wellesley '71 Speaker Series: Wellesley's Landscape

By special invitation from Wellesley ‘71:

October 19, 7:00 PM Eastern / 4:00 PM Pacific

How Wellesley’s Landscape Continues to Shape Generations of Women: 

Deepening a Sense of Place 1902 – 2022

 

Margi Reeve ’71, introduces Landscape Architect Emily Mueller De Celis ’91, Partner in the Boston-based Landscape Architecture firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA), who will present MVVA’s current Landscape Master Plan for Wellesley and discuss its evolution.

Wellesley’s unique landscape has been at the core of the school’s identity since its inception in 1870, and is considered to be "one of the masterpieces of landscape design in North America".  When Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. surveyed the college in 1902, he recognized that the natural topography of glacial landforms, valley meadows, and native plant communities should be the foundation for all future campus development. His master plan preserved the integrity of the extraordinary landscape that shaped generations of women. By the 1990s, the campus was nearing a state of ecological depletion and uniformity. The 1998 MVVA Master Plan responded to the alumnae community’s desire to reclaim the College’s landscape legacy for future generations, with a series of interconnected phased projects that accommodate future needs as well as institutional goals.  MVVA’s 25 completed projects over the last two decades demonstrate the Master Plan’s ability to respond to new campus leadership priorities and adapt to unforeseen needs. Emily will discuss the projects and phases implemented over the last two decades, the challenges, and the future. 

Emily was an Art History major at Wellesley and subsequently received a Master of Architecture from the University of Virginia and a Master of Landscape Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. Providing leadership on both design and planning projects, Emily guides the realization of many of MVVA’s demanding cultural and urban landscapes. Her projects at MVVA include, in addition to the Wellesley College Master Plan, Teardrop Park in lower Manhattan and environmentally complex projects on Toronto’s waterfront.  

Margi majored in Art History with a concentration in contemporary sculpture. While she was Curator of Exhibitions at Harvard's Graduate School of Design, she worked with Michael Van Valkenburgh on two exhibitions and publications: "Built Landscapes" and "Transforming the American Garden". 


Register HERE to join Emily, Margi and your Wellesley classmates via Zoom for the fifth in our Wellesley '71 Speaker Series.  Questions from the audience will be invited at the end of the lecture.  This session will be recorded.

Registration allows us to send you the Zoom link directly, a reminder before the talk, and any follow-up information, including a link to the recording. It does not update the WCAA database.