“NOT TO BE MISSED!” —San Francisco Chronicle



"TOWN DESTROYER"
A film by Deborah Kaufman and Alan Snitow

Thursday, November 10, 6:45pm
The Roxie, San Francisco’s Iconic Nonprofit Cinema

A Benefit for the Living New Deal
 

What happens when art no longer reflects current societal views? This is the focus of "Town Destroyer," a film about the New Deal muralist Victor Arnautoff’s 1936 work, "Life of Washington,” and how the high school mural became a media firestorm, with some students, parents, and observers demanding that the San Francisco School Board remove or destroy the mural. Identity politics gone off the rails—or a justified blow to a lingering American “colonized mentality”?

Filmmakers Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman, New Deal historian Harvey Smith and George Washington High School alumnus Lope Yap, Jr., will discuss the film and answer questions following the screening.

INFORMATION & VIEW TRAILER | TICKETS

JOIN US via ZOOM
A Living New Deal Webinar
with filmmakers Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman

“Town Destroyer— the Art of Controversy"
Tuesday, November 29, 2022, 5pm PST
 

What is role of the artist in reflecting America to itself? Victor Arnautoff was one of the most prolific artists in San Francisco. His mural, “Life of Washington,” is widely interpreted as a critique of America’s founding myths. Some see the mural as racist. Should the mural be removed? Join the conversation. Free. REGISTER

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With thanks, The Living New Deal

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