JR, Savona Bailey-McClain

The Executive Director of the West Harlem Art Fund in collaboration with WBAI FM Radio will host a community screening of the short film Ellis directed by the artist JR and starring Robert DeNiro.

The evening will begin with the permanent launch of the show, “State of the Arts” hosted by Savona Bailey-McClain from 5-6 p.m. and then the screening of the short film. After the screening, there will be a live discussion about the film, the use of public space and how we can continue to build communities in NYC.

About the Director and Producer JR


JR exhibits freely in the streets of the world, catching the attention of people who are not typical museum visitors. In 2011 he received the TED Prize, after which he created Inside Out, an international participatory art project that allows people worldwide to get their picture taken and paste it to support an idea and share their experience. His most recent installations include a collaboration with New York City Ballet, a huge installation on the Panthéon in Paris and the pasting of a container ship.

About the Film:
ELLIS awakens our collective memory, taking you back to the early years of Ellis Island through the experience of one immigrant.
Set in the abandoned Ellis Island Hospital complex and using JR's UNFRAMED art installations, ELLIS tells the forgotten story of the immigrants who built America. It is the story of the ghosts of our countries past, the individuals who fled poverty, discrimination, and dictatorships, for a chance at a new life and eerily foreshadows the plight of those who currently seek the same opportunities and safety in this country and other parts of the world. 
Date: 
Friday, November 13, 2015 - 6:00pm