Join us for a screening and an all-star panel to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Style Wars!
In the fall of 1983, PBS premiered the documentary Style Wars, which chronicled New York City’s youth culture through the world of graffiti and breakdancing. The brainchild of director and producer Tony Silver and producer Henry Chalfant, the film tackles the conflict between graffiti artists and the cynical officials as the New York they know vanishes around them. This film is an invaluable record of both the city’s history and the early days of Hip-Hop as we celebrate the genre’s 50th anniversary in 2023. Style Wars is required viewing for students of NYC history and fans of graffiti and b-boy and b-girl culture alike.
The panel discussion will include artists Lady Pink and Skeme, B-Boy Ken Swift, Style Wars producer Henry Chalfant, filmmaker and editor Sam Pollard, folklorist Elena Martinez, and photographer Martha Cooper. Moderated by New York Film series programmer Jessica Green.
Event Timeline
4:00 – 6:15pm: Graffiti merch/bazaar in the Museum’s Rotunda (1st Floor)
6:15 – 6:30pm: Film introduction (Ronay Menschel Hall, Ground Floor)
6:30 – 7:40pm: Film Screening (drinks & popcorn available for purchase)
7:40 – 8:45pm: Panel Discussion
This screening is part of our year-long series, New York on Film: Decade by Decade, programmed by Jessica Green. The series accompanies the Museum's centennial exhibition, This Is New York: 100 Years of the City in Art and Pop Culture.
New York on Film: Style Wars 40th Anniversary
Starts at: 2023-12-07 23:30:00
Ends at:
Museum of the City of New York
Read more NY city events on our site.
