Paper details
A Strong and Clear Vision is an Academy Award winning film about Maya Lin, the designer who created
one of the most famous monuments in the world when she was in her early 20s. Please watch the video
(You will need your student ID) and respond completely to the following questions.
https://ezproxy.everettcc.edu:2807/watch/maya-lin-a-strong-clear-vision (Links to an external site.)
1. Have you ever seen the Vietnam War Memorial in person? If so, what were your impressions?
2. What were political arguments against Maya’s design?
3. How do you feel about these arguments? Do you see them as valid?
4. How did Maya’s ethnicity figure into the controversy? Is this a valid concern?
5. How was the monument received when it finally opened to the public?
6. Why did Maya decide to make the Civil Rights Memorial into a water feature?
7. How does Maya’s smaller scale work compare to her monuments?
8. To you, what is the difference between and architect and an artist?
9. The political and social climate has changed a lot since this film was released. How do you think the
issue of Maya Lin designing the Civil Rights Memorial would be regarded today?
10. What are your final thoughts on Maya Lin, especially knowing that she was in her early 20s when her
public career started?