The Chincoteague Island Arts Organization is pleased to be able to commemorate Black History Month with you by sharing an extraordinary film.

“M & M Smith: For Posterity’s Sake”

Marvin and Morgan Smith, twin brothers with amazing artistic talent and driving ambition, left rural Kentucky in 1933 and headed to New York where they learned professional photography. In 1939 they established a photography studio adjacent to Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theatre, and it quickly became a hub for leading Black entertainers, musicians, artists and writers. The Smiths’ stylish portraits and films include the rich, the famous, and the influential, as well as the everyday people of the neighborhood. They provide a stunning visual record of rising social movements, and they capture for posterity the extraordinary vitality and energy of Harlem in its heyday and it’s lasting influence on American arts and culture.

Special thanks go to independent film maker, Heather Lyons-Long for permitting us to use her film. Try to watch this fifty-seven minute film in its entirety to appreciate the depth of its content, and enjoy this rare glimpse of an important and unique part of Black History with us.

If you prefer, or if you are not a Facebook user,
you can use this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br396841Fn4

If you want to watch it on your smart TV,
set up instructions can be found at :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrRRDlKspu0

Check your email and our Facebook page for
announcements of upcoming online 
Chincoteague Island Arts Organization programs.

Although the Island Theatre is still closed, we have been working on many improvements so we will be ready to welcome you back to the theatre safely when the Covid crisis wanes, hopefully by summer.
You can show your support with a donation using either our FaceBook page or our website, https://chincoteagueislandarts.com/
or by mailing it to CIAO, PO Box 1217, Chincoteague, VA 23336.