THIS JUST CAME IN OVER THE E-TRANSOM: An announcement of an upcoming special showing of The Desert of Forbidden Art at Rutger’s Zimmerli Art Museum. Below is the press release. Mark your calendars. It looks terrific. Not your garden variety art film. [Be sure to click on the links to Savitsky’s bio and to the history of the museum that houses the man’s extraordinary—the word fits—collection.]
Mark your calendar for Wednesday, October 13th.
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Description:
How does art survive in a time of oppression? During Soviet rule, artists who stayed true to their vision were imprisoned or executed. Their plight inspired the Russian painter, archeologist, and collector Igor Savitsky, who daringly rescued 40,000 artists’ works and created a museum in Uzbekistan’s desert – far from the watchful eyes of the KGB. The Nukus Museum of Art (officially known as The State Art Museum of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, named after I.V. Savitsky) has been described as “one of the most remarkable collections of 20th-century Russian art.” It is located in one of the world’s poorest regions, yet holds paintings that are worth millions today, including those by Russian avant-garde artists.
The Zimmerli Art Museum offers a screening of the film on the Nukus Museum of Art in conjunction with a visit by Savitsky’s successor and the museum’s current director, Marinika Babanazarova. After the film, the audience will have an opportunity to discuss the film with Ms. Babanazarova.
Amanda Pope is an Associate Professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Pope received her B.A. from Wellesley College and has a 20-year background in writing, producing, directing and editing documentary, dramatic and advocacy programs. Amanda Pope’s award-winning documentaries include: Jackson Pollock Portrait; Stages: Houseman Directs Lear; and Cities for People, all aired on PBS.
Tchavdar Georgiev is a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts and holds an undergraduate degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He has edited a number of award-winning fiction and non-fiction films as well as television programming for National Geographic, HBO, PBS, History Channel, Channel 1 Russia, and MTV Russia.
The Desert of Forbidden Art won the CINE Golden Eagle Award and Best Documentary at the Palm Beach International Film Festival and will be broadcast on PBS Independent Lens in 2011.
Outline of the event:
5:30 – 6:15pm Reception
6:15 – 6:20pm Introduction
6:20 – 7: 40pm Film screening
7:40 – 8:00pm Q&A session
Parking: Free parking is available immediately behind the museum (LOT#16) and in the Kirkpatrick Chapel lot across from the Zimmerli (entrance is located at the corner of George and Somerset Streets – LOT #1). Additional parking can also be found in the parking lot near the corner of Mine Street and College Avenue (entrance is located on College Avenue – LOT #8).
Special arrangements: Bus from NYC and back. Bus leaves at 4:00pm from Penn Station, NY (by the green awning: 31st Street between 7th & 8th Avenues).
Return trip: bus leaves at 8:15pm from Zimmerli Art Museum.
Fee is $15 per person with advance reservations (http://www.zimmerlimuseum.rutgers.edu/file/Credit_card_payment_form_for_10-13-10.pdf); 20 USD on location if space is available.
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© 2010 Maureen Mullarkey
