Fisch Haus and Harvester Arts proudly announce the inaugural Neighborhood Superstar Award: a community celebration and artistic prize created in a collaboration between the two nonprofits, this bi-annual award will highlight a local artist who currently operates outside of Wichita’s mainstream arts community.
This year, organizers are partnering with the Tallgrass Film Association to present Wichita’s 2016 Neighborhood Superstar Award to Internet Art Filmmaker R.G. Miller, whose creative life and films were the subject of the documentary Double Digits: The Story of a Neighborhood Superstar, which had its Midwest premiere at the 2015 Tallgrass Film Festival. Miller handcrafts intimate, whimsical short films and distributes them for free throughout his neighborhood, attracting a cult following among youth who treasure his imperfect, visionary interludes. The spirit of Miller’s films is freely expressive and inventive in a way that embodies our vision for this award, and we believe that showcasing his work, and subsequently the work of other future Neighborhood Superstars, will provide underserved communities the opportunity to explore a shared language that fosters productive cross-cultural collaboration.
Every other year, the partner organizations will sponsor a weekend of hands-on events and fundraising opportunities dedicated to honoring the contributions of incredible talent at all levels within our region. This award is meant to highlight an individual, like Miller, who may struggle to access traditional exhibition or performance venues. Funds raised for the Neighborhood Superstar Award.go directly to the recipient to support further creative endeavors and engagement.
The celebration in Miller’s honor will take place April 15-17, 2016 and will include:
- A marathon screening showcase of Miller’s short films at Fisch Haus.
- An exhibition and workshop of handmade props and related ephemera at Harvester Arts.
- An encore presentation of the documentary Double Digits with Director Justin Johnson, in collaboration with the Tallgrass Film Association.
- A filmmakers workshop with Johnson that offers students and young filmmakers professional feedback on personal film projects. Sessions are free but space is limited and reservations are required. For more information visit http://www.tallgrassfilmfest.com/.
A complete event schedule is available at http://fischhaus.com/blog/neighborhood-superstar.
Contact Information:
FISCH HAUS
Elizabeth Stevenson
316.200.5200
info@fischhaus.com
fischhaus.com
TALLGRASS FILM ASSOCIATION
Nick Pope
316.648.1128
nick@tallgrassfilmfest.com
http://www.tallgrassfilmfest.com/
HARVESTER ARTS
Kate Van Steenhuyse
316.530.2203
harvesterarts@gmail.com
http://www.harvesterarts.com/