"Three-Dimensional Chess" with Maurice Stein and Larry Miller

Maurice Stein and Larry Miller will discuss the concepts and design behind Blueprint for Counter Education’s three charts, in conversation with Caitlin Julia Rubin, Assistant Curator.

In an era marked by social upheaval and engaged advocacy—for civil rights, the women’s movement, and against the Vietnam War—Blueprint for Counter Education encouraged students to shape an educational experience relevant to the world in which they lived. Developed during the late 1960s by Brandeis University Sociology Professor Maurice Stein and student Larry Miller, the project allowed participants to direct their own pathways of discovery in relation to the theories, art, and politics of a turbulent era. Though initially conceived of as a book, Blueprint for Counter Education was released in 1970 as a set of three charts and an accompanying text, designed by Marshall Henrichs and packaged within a box that boldly proclaimed “THE REVOLUTION STARTS HERE.”

As Stein and Miller write, "... we advise the participant, from the outset, to drop all conceptions about Cartesian space or the space of a two-dimensional graph. The three charts, together with the infinite participative relationships they can generate, might suggest three-dimensional chess, or some other very complicated board game.”

Learn more about the intricacies of Blueprint for Counter Education’s charts in a close look with their creators.

Please note that space in the Lee gallery, where this event will take place, is limited, and attendance will be capped. As seats for this talk will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, we recommend arriving early.

Read more about Blueprint for Counter Education.

Watch a recording of the program: