CRYSTAL Z CAMPBELL: Living on Hope for a Long Time
September 5, 2012, 7pm-9pm

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Harvestworks Digital Media Arts Center
596 Broadway #602
New York City (SOHO), New York 10012
Admission: FREE, Light Refreshments

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Crystal Z Campbell’s 5.1 sound piece, Living on Hope for Long Time, is based on the 1978 Jonestown Tragedy. Jonestown was a failed multicultural utopia of Americans who relocated to Guyana in the late 1970’s. Cult leader Jim Jones’ final plea to over 1000 followers––before convincing them to commit mass suicide, was recorded on the notorious “Death Tape.”

For Living on Hope for a Long Time, Campbell worked with classically trained soprano Jennifer Connor to transform Jones’ plea from the "Death Tape" into a dynamic sonic tapestry of opera riffs, spoken word and musical theater. This is the U.S. premiere of Living on Hope for a Long Time, which will be followed by a brief artist talk.

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Crystal Z Campbell, a graduate of the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, uses sound, film, photography and site-specific installation to explore the politics of witnessing. From 2010-2011, Campbell was a Van Lier Fellow at the Whitney Museum of American Art's Independent Study Program.

Campbell is currently a first-year artist in residence at Rijksakademie van beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Campbell’s work will be included in Fore, the forthcoming group exhibition at the Studio Museum of Harlem, in November 2012. [www.crystalzcampbell.com]