FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2009
CONTACT:
Meg Fullwood
214-740-9377
mfullwood@kera.org
'THE ROSE: A SENSE OF PLACE' DOCUMENTS HISTORY OF FORT WORTH'S ROSE MARINE THEATER
Airs May 4, 2009 on KERA-TV
DALLAS/FORT WORTH - The Rose Marine Theater in Fort Worth’s North Side neighborhood is the cultural heart of the city’s Latino community. A new documentary, The Rose: A Sense of Place, follows the history of the theater from its rise to fame in the 1920s and 30s, deterioration in the 1970s and restoration in the 1990s. The film also explores the importance of the theater as the centerpiece of Fort Worth’s Latino community. The Rose: A Sense of Place airs as a Frame of Mind special, presented by KERA’s Art&Seek on Monday, May 4 at 9:30 p.m. on KERA-TV.
The Rose Marine Theater began presenting Spanish language films to the community’s growing Mexican-American population in the 1920s. Segregation prevented a mixing of the races in the city at that time and the Rose Marine Theater became the cultural showcase of Mexican cinema, music and culture, attracting prominent artists from the 1920s to the 1960s. The theater fell into disrepair during the economic downturn of the 1970s, but with the help of Fort Worth’s first Latino City Councilman, Louis Zapata, the Rose Marine Theater was restored to its original glory during the revitalization of the city’s North Side in the 1990s.
The Rose: A Sense of Place uses archival photos, reenactments and current interviews to document the history of the theater, life during segregation and the importance of the Rose Marine Theater as a place that Latinos could call their own. The Rose Marine Theater received national landmark status in 1999. The nonprofit arts organization Artes de la Rosa currently manages the property and oversees the gallery, theater and film series. Teatro de la Rosa’s youth outreach program was honored with the Coming up Tall Award by the White House in 2006.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
Filmmaker Logan Gilpin is a Fort Worth native with a background in sound engineering and broadcast news. He established Under the Tower Productions in 2003 and produces short films with compelling, authentic stories. Michael Rodriquez is an artist, graphic designer, musician and filmmaker. Being of Native American and Spanish heritage, he was taught and inspired by the traditions of his culture while being raised on a reservation. He has been in the entertainment industry for 15 years. Visit www.asenseofplace.tv for more information.
ABOUT ARTES DE LA ROSA
Artes de la Rosa is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and interpreting the art, culture, lives, and history of the Latino community by establishing a venue for Latino art and cultural performances, offering educational art/culture programs to the community including youth in low-income neighborhoods, providing opportunities and support for established and emerging artists and performers, and serving as the central support organization and resource center for Latino art and culture in the City of Fort Worth. More information is available at www.rosemarinetheater.com.
ABOUT FRAME OF MIND
Frame of Mind is a series co-produced by KERA and the Video Association of Dallas which showcases the work of independent filmmakers and videomakers. The program features a wide range of innovative media produced in Texas and/or by Texans. Frame of Mind is produced by Bart Weiss, Founder and Director of the Dallas Video Festival, and Executive Producer Bill Young. Visit www.dallasvideo.org for more information about the Video Association of Dallas.
ABOUT ART&SEEK
Art&Seek is a multimedia service that includes radio reports and television features. The cornerstone of the initiative is the award-winning Web site at www.artandseek.org. There you will find feature stories about the arts, a blog with daily arts news, podcasts and the Art&Seek calendar. All arts organizations in North Texas are invited to create a profile page on the Art&Seek calendar and post events free of charge. To create a profile page, please visit: www.artandseek.org/addus/
ABOUT KERA
KERA is a not-for-profit public broadcasting organization that serves the people of North Texas. The station broadcasts to the 5th largest market in the United States. KERA produces original multimedia content, carries the best in national and international public television and radio programs, and provides online resources at www.kera.org. The station’s extensive coverage of the arts can be found at www.artandseek.org. KERA also promotes children’s education through television programs and resources for families and teachers. KERA-TV broadcasts on channel 13. KERA-FM broadcasts on 90.1 in Dallas/Fort Worth/Denton, 88.3 in Wichita Falls, 100.1 in Tyler and 99.3 in Sherman.
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