FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2008
CONTACT: Meg Fullwood
mfullwood@kera.org
214-740-9377
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 9:00 p.m. on KERA Television
(Will air nationally as part of the PBS series P.O.V.)
DALLAS/FORT WORTH – Renowned sculptor John Sherrill Houser has a dream: to build the world’s largest bronze equestrian sculpture for the City of El Paso. He envisions a stunning monument to the Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate that pays tribute to the contributions of Hispanics in building the American West. But as the project nears completion, troubles arise. Native Americans in New Mexico remember Oñate as the man responsible for the genocide of their people. Others in the region trace their ancestry to the Spaniard and welcome the monument. As the City of El Paso divides among race and class, the artist must face the broader implications of his sculpture. The Last Conquistador airs Tuesday, July 15 at 9:00 p.m. on KERA and airs nationally as part of the PBS series P.O.V. The documentary is the latest program in KERA’s ongoing Art&Seek series.
Neither John Houser nor the El Paso city council intend for the work to be controversial. The documentary witnesses the transformation of the statue into a representation of unresolved conflicts between race, class and the historical memories of people now living in a multicultural society.
Sculptor John Sherrill Houser was born in Rapid City, South Dakota. His father assisted in the carving of Mount Rushmore. Houser graduated from Lewis and Clark College in Oregon with a double major in natural science and art. He later attended UCLA on a fellowship for graduate study and studied in Spain and Italy. He has exhibited work throughout the United States, Latin American and Europe. The Equestrian is Houser’s second work in the XII Travelers Memorial of the Southwest series. For details, visit www.12visitors.org.
John J. Valadez is the producer/director of The Last Conquistador, along with many award-winning documentaries for PBS and CNN. His credits include Passin’ It On, which aired on P.O.V. in 1994, and Beyond Brown for PBS. He is currently working on the PBS projects Latin Music USA and The Head of Joaquin Murrieta. Cristina Ibarra makes short films for public television and museums. Her award-winning directorial debut, Dirty Laundry: A Homemade Telenovela, aired on the PBS series ColorVision. The Last Conquistador is Ibarra’s first feature documentary. She is in development with two new projects: the documentary Another Martha andthe feature film Love and Monster Trucks.
Art&Seek extends the vision of KERA and its President and CEO, Mary Anne Alhadeff. KERA’s Art&Seek initiative harnesses radio, television, Web and educational resources to explore the intersection of arts, journalism and community building. The initiative includes arts reports and commentaries on KERA-FM and special presentations and documentaries on KERA-TV. At artandseek.org, KERA’s arts reporter and contributors present featured content; the Art&Seek blog initiates conversations about the arts in North Texas; and the Art&Seek calendar provides quick and easy information about events, connecting audiences and arts groups. The Art&Seek initiative encourages everyone to find, create, discuss and react to the arts in North Texas. Contact Anne Bothwell, director of Art&Seek, at 214-740-9262 or by email abothwell@kera.org.
KERA is a not-for-profit public broadcasting organization that is independently owned and operated in North Texas. The station’s services include original television and radio productions, national public television and radio programs, online information and resources at www.kera.org and an educational resource center that develops outreach programs for children, families and educators.
