Press Release

Art Project to Involve Hyde Park Residents

Project focuses on gathering home movies of Hyde Park residents, both past and present, as part of a video installation to take place in Hyde Park in 2008.

Hyde Park, New York - In an effort to engage the community, artist Matthew Slaats is organizing a project that focuses on building a visual history of the Town of Hyde Park through the use of home videos. Entitled “The Hyde Park Video Project,” the artist will collect video from residents of the town, both past and present, to become a part of an installation of the video to take place in Hyde Park in the spring of 2008.

With funding from the Dutchess County Arts Council, administrator of public funds through the New York State Council on the Arts’ Decentralization Department, and sponsorship from the Hyde Park Library, the project will build a cohesive collection of visual material that represents life in the Town of Hyde Park. Starting with footage found at historical archives and libraries, the artist will be gathering material provided by residents to build this collection. The primary goal of the project is to engage the community in a conversation about identity and history that is defined by the residents themselves.

Those interested in donating video or film footage to the project may contact the artist at mbslaats@gmail.com or 845 889 8181. All those that donate material to the project will be included in the final presentation. Material will be returned in the same condition they were received with a DVD version of the footage used.

You may also drop of material and meet the artist, Saturdays from 10 to noon at the Hyde Park Free Library, through out the month of January, February and March.

Any further inquiries can be made to Matthew Slaats at 845.889.8181 or mbslaats@gmail.com.