The Hanson Film Institute will present the World Premiere of Off the Street,
a 1968 short film documenting a summer camp devised by teachers from
the Art Students League in New York in response to the civil unrest in
the wake of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. The never-before-seen
film, in which art is employed as a tool for social change, follows a
group of artistically talented and ethnically diverse students from
inner-city New York who travel to the Vermont Academy in Saxtons River,
VT to participate in an 8-week art camp. Filmmaker Jere Michael will be
in attendance at the screening, along with Bernard Stanley Hoyes, one of
the youngest camp participants, now an internationally renowned artist.
The screening will be followed by a conversation about the role of art
education in race relations and will be moderated by Dr. Bryan Carter,
Associate Professor, UA Africana Studies.
Hanson Film Institute director Vicky Westover learned of the film
following a call from Mr. Michael, a Tucson resident. “Jere called me
and described the film, looking to archive it. While it is nearly 50
years old, I was struck by how timely the subject matter is. The
parallels to race relations in the current political era are undeniable.
So we decided to digitize the 16mm film and make it available to the
community for viewing, and have a dialogue about the role of art
education in race relations and self-identity. And it was exciting to
learn about how the camp made a lasting positive impact on the
participants.”
Artist Bernard Stanley Hoyes added “The art camp changed my life and
the lives of many of the student participants. I am delighted to travel
to Tucson to finally share this story with the public.”
What: World Premiere of OFF THE STREET (26 min) followed by
conversation and Q&A with filmmaker Jere Michael and artist Bernard
Stanley Hoyes, moderated by Dr. Bryan Carter, UA Africana Studies
When: Tuesday October 17, 5:30pm – 7:00pm
Where: Center for Creative Photography
Cost: FREE