Town Destroyer

"Town Destroyer" film screening and conversation with directors Alan Snitow and Deborah Kauffman.


The film "Town Destroyer" examines a heated controversy over Depression-era WPA murals painted by leftwing artist Victor Arnautoff in a San Francisco public high school, which depict George Washington not only as a military leader and President, but also as a slaveowner and destroyer of Native peoples. The documentary explores the politics of art and history at a time of polarized national debate over the power of images, racism, trauma, and what should be taught in schools. 

Watch a preview and find more information about the film here.

Co-Sponsored by the Wolf Humanities Center; the Department of Art History; and The Education, Culture, and Society program at Penn GSE.