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2025 GORDON PARKS CELEBRATION

Schedule of Events

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Thursday, October 2nd

 

PHOTO EXHIBITS will be on display in the Gordon Parks Museum and the Lunt Lobby of the Ellis Family Fine Arts Center

 

PHOTO CONTEST/EXHIBIT — Sponsored by Merl Humphrey Photography and Don Thompson Images, will be on display with the theme of “What Does Your Heart See?” Winners will be announced at the Chamber Coffee, Thursday, Oct.2, 2025.

 

POETRY CONTEST/EXHIBIT — Sponsored by Helen Townsend, Poet and Trabar and Associates, will be displayed with the theme of “What Does Your Heart See?” Winners will be announced at the Chamber Coffee, but presented at the Open Mic event on Saturday, Oct 4, 2025.

 

SIGN DISPLAY & MURAL DISPLAY — Visit the Lowell Milken Center Unsung Heroes Park, 1 S. Main St. where Gordon Parks is featured on one of the signs. View also the mural of Gordon Parks at Riverfront Park, 400 N. National.

 

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. — Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Coffee at the Gordon Parks Museum. FREE.

 

9:25 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. — Showing of the Criterion Collection film The Learning Tree Directed by Gordon Parks. FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center Theater. FREE.

 

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. — Registration open outside of the Museum.

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11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. — (Lunch and Learn) The Power of Imagery and Civil Rights Experience

This presentation will delve into the impact of photography on the civil rights movement in the aftermath of the landmark Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education, tracing the evolution of how Black individuals and communities have been portrayed from historical beginnings to the era of Brown v. Board and up to the present day. Presentation by Ann Dean, an Artist, Freelance Photographer and Photography Instructor at the Lawrence, KS Art Center. Our program is brought to us by Humanities Kansas. The Lunch and Learn is free to attend, though pre-purchased sandwich wrap lunches are available for $12 each and must be ordered by Wednesday, Oct 1. Lunches can be purchased online at gordonparkscenter.org/events, by phone, or by mail. Attendees are also welcome to bring their own lunch and join us. Complimentary desserts and drinks will be provided. In the FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center. FREE to attend (except for lunch).

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12:45 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. — Legends and Historic Moments of our Lifetime Jason Miccolo Johnson, the 2025 “Choice of Weapons Award” honoree, will showcase photographs of some historic moments and legends that he has photographed over the past 50 years and talk about the art of being in the right place at the right time. In the FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center. FREE.

 

1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. — Showing of the film Moments Without Proper Names Directed by Gordon Parks.

In the FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center Theater. FREE.

 

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. — Guided Trolley Tour of Gordon Parks’ Fort Scott & The Learning Tree Film Scene Locations  

Meet at the entrance of the FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center. See the places in Fort Scott that are part of Gordon Parks’ history. Fee: $8. https://www.gordonparkscenter.org/events or by phone or mail.

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Friday, October 3rd

 

9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.  — Registration open outside of the Museum.

 

9:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. — Back To Fort Scott: 75th Anniversary Join us as we commemorate the 75th anniversary of Gordon Parks’ returns to his hometown of Fort Scott, Kansas, for his 1950 assignment with LIFE Magazine. This event will feature a look back at some of Gordon’s remarkable photographs taken in Fort Scott and his essay that captured the essence of life in Fort Scott during that era. The program will also include a video presentation titled Gordon Parks: Coming Home Revisited featuring past Choice of Weapons Honorees reading Gordon Parks Fort Scott Revisited Essay, along with images. The essay was published in the Back to Fort Scott book in 2015. Produced by Nick Homberg, Professor of Media and Communications Technology, Kansas State University and Kirk Sharp, Director of the Gordon Parks Museum. FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center Theater. Coffee, water, juice, and light refreshments will be available. FREE.

 

10:00 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. — A Conversation with the 2025 Choice of Weapon Honorees, Michael Cheers, Carol Friedman and Jason Miccolo Johnson.  FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center Theater. FREE.

 

11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. — The Legacy of Urban Renewal on Tulsa's Black Wall Street Urban renewal radically changed Tulsa’s landscape in the 1960’s and ’70’s in ways that many residents were deeply opposed to. Don Thompson, historian and photographer, will share his firsthand documentation from that era with powerful visuals from that time as well as an historical perspective on how Greenwood residents, still rebuilding after the 1921 Tulsa Massacre, experienced those tumultuous years. In the FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center. FREE.

 

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. — (Lunch and Learn) The Women of Brown Twelve Black women were at the forefront of the civil rights movement as plaintiffs in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case. Unfortunately, their contributions to the civil rights movement have often been overlooked, yet they are essential to the story of the Brown decision and its impact on American society. This presentation will shine a light on their stories and ensure that their names are not forgotten. Presenter Donna Rae Pearson is a Curator at Kansas Museum of History. Our program is brought to us by Humanities Kansas.  The Lunch and Learn is free to attend, though pre-purchased sandwich wrap lunches are available for $12 each and must be ordered by Thursday, Oct 2. Lunches can be purchased online at gordonparkscenter.org/events, by phone, or by mail. Attendees are also welcome to bring their own lunch and join us. Complimentary desserts and drinks will be provided. In the FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center. FREE to attend (except for lunch).

 

1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. — The Jazz Masters: Inciting The Moment Carol Friedman, the 2025 “Choice of Weapons Award” honoree, will share the ‘stories behind the pictures’ of her images of legends Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Ron Carter, Lena Horne, Ornette Coleman, Count Basie & Quincy Jones, Chet Baker, and Eubie Blake. Whether carefully captured in a studio session or at a moment's notice on location, Ms. Friedman will reveal the inherent magic in the inciting of the moment. FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center Theater. FREE.

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2:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. — The Sound of Gordon Parks Join us for a powerful and engaging open community discussion with Mario E. Sprouse and Justen LeRoy, as they explore and celebrate the musical legacy of Gordon Parks. Come be part of this unique conversation as we listen, reflect, and honor the rich sonic legacy of Gordon Parks. Mario E. Sprouse, a musician, composer, and 2023 “Choice of Weapons Award” honoree, has been a dynamic presence in music, theater, and film for over five decades. As Gordon Parks trusted musical assistant for more than 20 years, Sprouse has played a pivotal role in preserving and cataloging Parks’ extensive archive of music and media. Justen LeRoy is a sound artist and curator from Los Angeles whose work delves into the intersections of sound, spirituality, and geology. Through music, film, and performance, he investigates how these elements reflect and resonate with larger cultural and environmental narratives. FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center/Theater. FREE.

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8:00 p.m. — Celebration Dance Party featuring “The Full Flava Kings”. Celebrate and dance the night away to one of the region’s best party bands from Tulsa, OK. The Full Flava Kings band will perform some of the best R&B and dance hits for all generations. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Band starts at 8:00pm. Cash bar available. Join us at River Room. 3 W. Oak, all seats reserved. Fee: $25 each or $30 at the door. Tickets available either online https://www.gordonparkscenter.org/events, by phone or by mail. Supported in part by The Bourbon County Arts Council, in Fort Scott, KS.

     

                                                               

Saturday, October 4th

 

9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. — Registration open outside of the Museum.

 

9:00 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. — Gordon Parks and Paris: More than Just a Love Affair Professor John Edwin Mason, Associated Professor, University of Virginia Department of History When Gordon Parks famously wrote that "I needed Paris," he was looking back on the two years that he spent in the city as a member of Life magazine's Paris bureau. His time in France had provided a temporary escape from the racism that he confronted every day in his personal and professional life. In the City of Lights, he felt free to explore his artistic ambitions in ways that seemed impossible at home. This talk looks at the how Parks' art flowered during and after his time in Paris, especially in his photography, writing, and musical compositions.   FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center. Coffee, water, juice, and light refreshments will be

available. FREE.

 

10:00 a.m.  –  11:00 a.m. — Open Mic Poetry This open mic is for any poets, rappers, musicians, or artists of all ages to read their work. Bring your friends, your poetry, your beats, your inspirations, your creativity, and your talent! No sign-up necessary, just hop on the mic when you’re ready! Hosted by poet, Barbara L. Eikner. FSCC Fine Arts Center. FREE.

 

11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. — Fort Scott Now Stories: Inspired by Gordon Parks 1950 - Back To Fort Scott Join us for a presentation with the 2025 “Choice of Weapons Award” honoree, D. Michael Cheers, PhD, associate professor of visual journalism, San Jose State University, photojournalist and documentary filmmaker, as he shares an exclusive first look at his upcoming book and a trailer for his feature documentary that just wrapped up production in Fort Scott. Cheers will be joined by Bryce Lawson, the film's cinematographer and Kyle Johnson, 2021 “Choice of Weapons” Award honoree. This compelling visual narrative is inspired by Gordon Parks' unpublished 1950 LIFE magazine assignment in his boyhood home. This project follows a past, present, and future lens, layered in rich storytelling, history, social documentary, and photojournalism, envisioned by Gordon Parks. FSCC Fine Arts Center. FREE.

 

12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. — (BBQ Lunch and Learn) Filming of The Learning Tree Join us for a special lunch & Learn event featuring Kyle Johnson, the lead actor who portrayed Newt Winger in Gordon Parks’ landmark film, The Learning Tree. Kyle will share his experience, personal stories and behind-the-scenes insights from the film’s production, which took place on location in Fort Scott and Mound City, Kansas in 1968. This is a unique opportunity to hear firsthand accounts from one of the key figures of this historic film. Kyle Johnson was also honored as a 2021 “Choice of Weapons Award” recipient. Come enjoy a delicious FREE BBQ Lunch while learning more about the legacy of The Learning Tree. This lunch includes some great barbeque, potato salad, chips, desserts, and drinks. (Visitors are welcome bring their own lunch.)  There is no cost for the lunch, but registration for the BBQ is required either online https://www.gordonparkscenter.org/events, by phone or by mail by Fri, Oct. 4. Donations are certainly appreciated. FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center. FREE.

 

1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. — Reflections on filming Half Past Autumn: Celebrating 25 Years Join us for this conversation with Robin Hickman-Winfield, Consulting Producer of Half Past Autumn, Executive Producer of SoulTouch Productions and great-niece of Gordon Parks as she shares her stories and experience with her Uncle Gordon and the film Half Past Autumn. This conversation will lead up to the showing of film Half Past Autumn. In the FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center Theater. FREE.    

 

2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. — Half Past Autumn: 25th Anniversary Film Showing Documentary about Gordon Parks. (Courtesy of HBO Films) with an introduction by Robin Hickman Winfield, Consulting Producer of Half Past Autumn, Executive Producer of SoulTouch Productions and great-niece of Gordon Parks. FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center/Auditorium. FREE.

 

3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. — Guided Trolley Tour of Gordon Parks’ Fort Scott & The Learning Tree Film Scene Locations.   Meet at the entrance of the FSCC Ellis Fine Arts Center. See the places in Fort Scott that are part of Gordon Parks’ history.  Fee: $10. Sign up and pay either online at https://www.gordonparkscenter.org/events or by phone or mail.

 

7:00 p.m. – Celebration Tribute Dinner and Photo Auction (Social Hour starts at 6:00 p.m.) Join us for an evening of celebration including dinner, music, photo auction and tribute to past honorees and to Gordon Parks. The evening will be highlighted by the presentation of the 2025 “Gordon Parks Choice of Weapons Award” to Michael Cheers, Carol Friedman, and Jason Miccolo Johnson. There will also be a presentation of the 2025 “Gordon Parks Learning Tree Award” to Robert Nelson. This event will be held at the Liberty Theater 113 S. Main St. All seats reserved. Fee: $35.00. Tickets available online at https://www.gordonparkscenter.org/events, or by phone or mail. (Reserve by Wed, Oct. 1).

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Sunday, October 5th

9:00 a.m. – Breakfast at Crooner’s Lounge. Enjoy a breakfast buffet at one of Fort Scott’s finest! Located at 117 S. Main Street, Downtown Fort Scott.  You’re sure to find something on the buffet to please.  Check it out at: fscrooners.com. (No ticket required-everyone pays for their own).

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