Thursday documentary showing in coordination with CAW's "Cultural Passages"

Creative Arts Workshop Hilles Gallery
80 Audubon St., New Haven, (203) 562-4927
Cultural Passages: What's Art Got To Do With It?
Through Oct. 9, 2009
Film showing, The Billboard From Bethlehem: Thurs., Oct. 8, 7 p.m.

Press release

The Billboard From Bethlehem, an award winning, one-hour documentary by billboard developer turned peacemaker, writer and director Bruce A. Barrett, will be screened at the ACES-ECA Auditorium on Thurs., Oct. 8, 2009 at 7 p.m. The screening is the final event scheduled in coordination with the exhibition Cultural Passages: What's Art Got to Do with It? on view in the Hilles Gallery at Creative Arts Workshop through Fri., Oct. 9. (Photo by Bruce A. Barrett, courtesy of the artist)

"It's the story that's winning the awards," says Barrett. "I had the good fortune to catch true peace making on film." The timely documentary tells the story of an American billboard company owner (Barrett) who convinces Israeli and Palestinian fighters (The Combatants for Peace) to recruit Israeli and Palestinian children to paint a giant peace mural inside the West Bank of Palestine. The completed sign then travels to a mosque, a synagogue, and a church before being posted on a busy American highway. The film offers insight into the history of the conflict, the dynamics of the fighting, and a vision for a just and lasting peace.

After the film, producer/director Bruce Barrett will discuss his vision for this documentary that interweaves a tale of billboard design with eight combatants' stories of personal transformation. Local artist Russell Rainbolt will share his inspiration for the design the billboard. The billboard will be displayed during the screening; the gallery will be open prior to the event for viewers wishing to see the full exhibition.

Cultural Passages: What's Art Got To Do With It? features 57 artists from throughout Connecticut who are using their work to tackle issues of identity, sense of place and locality, ethnic heritage, social and economic circumstances, familial histories and personal struggles, and responses to the tumultuous politics of our time. Seen as a whole, Cultural Passages: What's Art Got To Do With It? represents a complex and vibrant collection of individual viewpoints that work collectively to communicate across cultural barriers.

The exhibition is part of the Creative Arts Workshop's efforts to connect the community art school with artists from New Haven and its neighboring communities. Cultural Passages: What's Art Got To Do With It? is generously supported by Yale University.