Film ScreeninG and Conversation

HARRY SHUNK & DARRYL KELLY: AUTHORSHIP & OWNERSHIP

TUESDAY, MAY 26TH, 7–9PM
RSVP

Join us for a special screenings of Harry’s Gift, by Alexandra Isles and SHUNK, by Lisa Schiller, focusing on the international photographer turned reclusive hoarder, Harry Shunk, and Darryl Kelly, who came into possession of Shunk’s archive.

• HARRY'S GIFT by Alexandra Isles tells the story of Darryl Kelly’s extraordinary discovery, preservation and sale of Harry Shunk's own photographs and other artwork that he found as he cleaned out Shunk’s Westbeth home after Harry’s death.

• SHUNK (trailer) by Lisa Schiller delves deeper into the man who late in life became a hermit and a hoarder, who died upside down in his collection of artwork and other belongings.

• The screening will be followed by a short Q&A by the filmmakers and cast, as well as a salon-style conversation about Authorship and Ownership.

Please see below for the full program.

Entrance to the event is FREE, but attendees are encouraged to consider becoming a member of Penumbra. You don’t have to join to attend, but we hope you will!

PROGRAM:

• Location: Studio (4th floor)

• 7:00 PM:  Introduction, presentation

• 7:05 PM:  Film sceening

• 7:50 PM: Brief comments by Alexandra Isles and Darryl Kelly

• 8:00 PM: Moderated Q&A with Alexandra, Darryl, and Deborah Hrbek 

• 8:10 – 8:30 PM: Reception (wine & cheese)

About the Artist:
Born in Germany in 1924, Harry Shunk was once an international photographer, famous for his collaborations with Yves Klein, Andy Warhol and Christo. He died in obscurity in 2006, his body found amongst massive piles of paper and things in his Westbeth, New York City apartment. Shunk’s archive was subsequently bought at auction by the Lichtenstein Foundation and divided between the Museum of Modern Art, the Getty Research Institute, the National Gallery of Art, the Pompidou Center, and the Tate.

About the Filmakers:
Alexandra Isles is a filmmaker and researcher dedicated to unearthing overlooked histories. Her career began at the Museum of Broadcasting (1985–1990), where she served as Assistant Curator and created notable screening series such as Storybook Playhouse and Olivier on Television. A recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities research grant, Isles transitioned into a prolific period of directing and producing. Her filmography explores the intersection of social justice and history, including the critically acclaimed Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist, The Power of Conscience (Danish Broadcasting Company), and Porraimos: Europe’s Gypsies in the Holocaust. Beyond the director’s chair, Isles served as an interviewer for Steven Spielberg’s Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation and held a Research Fellowship at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. Her commitment to community is reflected in her volunteer work with the Red Cross and the Bellevue Center for Victims of Torture. Currently, Isles continues to share her passion for the arts as a Volunteer Educator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Lisa Schiller:
Lisa Schiller is an accomplished screenwriter and producer known for blending sharp comedic wit with profound documentary storytelling. She began her career in the writers' room of the cult classic Wonder Showzen and spent years honing her voice at Comedy Central. Transitioning into features, Lisa wrote and produced the acclaimed drama Knucklehead, starring Alfre Woodard and Gbenga Akinnagbe. Her versatility is further highlighted by her work on the critically lauded documentary The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52 (executively produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and distributed by Bleecker Street). Recent highlights include "David Again" (Documentary Short, Producer, Tribeca 2024 Premiere) and "Fink" (Short documentary on photographer Larry Fink, Director and Producer, featured on Nowness). When she isn't directing or producing music videos, Lisa continues to write—fueled by a passion for storytelling that has officially ended her aspirations for a career in professional football.

About the Cast:
Darryl Kelly is the owner of a household cleanout business in New York City. In 2006, he had the good fortune to be engaged by Westbeth Artists Housing to clean out an apartment formerly occupied by Harry Shunk, a reclusive photographer who documented the work of some of the great artists of the Beatnik era and beyond. The story of his find and the way that this discovery awakened his appreciation for art, and for his benefactor beyond the grave, is beautifully captured in Harry’s Gift, a documentary film by Alexandra Isles. In addition to running the cleanout business, Darryl is active in the Bronx neighborhood where he grew up, often speaking at schools and organizing initiatives to support the wellbeing of his local community.

About the Moderator:
Media lawyer Deborah Hrbek from Manhattan-based entertainment law firm Hrbek Law LLC represents Oscar-winning film production team John Canemaker & Peggy Stern (The Moon and The Son), Laura Israel (Don't Blink - Robert Frank, Windfall), WNBA star and filmmaker Tina Charles (GameChanger, Charlie's Records), the Chapo Traphouse podcast team (including TV writers Amber A'Lee Frost and Felix Biederman), and Off Center Media (Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America; Disturbing the Universe). Hrbek's client, Darryl Kelly, famously enjoyed a prolonged 15-minutes of fame when he rescued the photo-archive legacy of photographer Harry Shunk from Westbeth, spawning an NYC art world media frenzy and two documentary film projects - Harry's Gift by Alexandra Isles, and SHUNK by Lisa Schiller. The firm also represents a number of fine art photographers - including Larry Fink!

For all questions regarding the program, please contact our Associate Director Lisa di Donato: lisa@penumbrafoundation.org

Any changes to the program will be announced online. All lectures and other events are held at Penumbra Foundation at 7pm. This event is Free to the public.

36 E. 30th St. New York, NY, 10016 (between Madison Ave. & Park Ave. South
(917) 288-0343 | rsvp@penumbrafoundation.org | penumbrafoundation.org