Brian D. Goldstein — Max Bond: The Life and Work of the People's Architect - with Steven Nelson — at Conn Ave
Brian D. Goldstein presents *Max Bond: The Life and Work of the People’s Architect*, the first biography of architect J. Max Bond Jr. (1935–2009). A civil rights activist, educator, and Harvard-trained architect, Bond created housing, cultural institutions, community centers, and campuses while advancing an inclusive, democratic vision of architecture rooted in social engagement. His work included Atlanta’s King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Washington’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in Manhattan.
Goldstein discusses how Bond connected architecture with freedom, Black history, urbanism, and modernism, and why Bond’s contributions have often been overlooked. He is joined by Steven Nelson, an art historian and the inaugural executive director of the Sam Gilliam Foundation, for a conversation about Bond’s legacy and the broader history of African American art, architecture, and cities.
When: Sunday, October 11, 2026
Showtime: 5:00pm
Venue: Politics and Prose at 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, 5015 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
Speakers: Brian D. Goldstein and Steven Nelson
Brian D. Goldstein: Goldstein is an associate professor of architectural history in the Department of Art and Art History at Swarthmore College. He is also the author of *The Roots of Urban Renaissance: Gentrification and the Struggle over Harlem*.
Steven Nelson: Nelson is the inaugural executive director of the Sam Gilliam Foundation, professor emeritus of art history and African American Studies at UCLA, and a former dean of the National Gallery of Art’s Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts. He has written extensively about the art, architecture, and urbanism of Africa and its diasporas, as well as queer studies. His previous roles include director of UCLA’s African Studies Center, and he has held visiting appointments in Bogotá and Paris. He serves on the boards of the Kress Foundation, Bard Graduate Center, and Educare DC.
Book: *Max Bond: The Life and Work of the People’s Architect* examines Bond’s career and his effort to develop an architecture created with and for the public. The event-related hardcover is listed at $39.95 and has ISBN 9780691220666.
Tickets: Free
Seating: Seating is first come, first served.
Accessibility: To request accommodations or ask about accessibility, email events@politics-prose.com, ideally at least one week before the event. The organizers will make an effort to accommodate requests submitted up to the event time.