OH, FREEDOM

From a full-scale replica of America’s first submarine by Duke Riley to a 20-foot-tall countersurveillance tower by Jenny Polak, the Convergence Center offers a range of artworks on the theme of “democracy” developed as a part of Creative Time’s year-long public-art program, Democracy in America: The National Campaign. Kicking off with an opening reception today from noon to 2 p.m., the exhibit also aims to provide a town hall for political discussion and debate, with a lineup of speakers that includes former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman (September 22), performance artist Karen Finley (September 24), and activist comedy group the Yes Men (September 27). You can also stand up and be heard at Pia Lindman’s “Soapbox” event, in which anyone can sign up for one minute of “free speech.” And just in case all of that isn’t enough to remind you what America stands for, check out the historical items on display: original copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Emancipation Proclamation, and early printings of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.

Sept. 21-27, 2008