The First Artist in America: The Life and Times of John Vanderlyn (2017)
Genre : Documentary
Runtime : 1H 16M
Director : Tobe Carey
Synopsis
John Vanderlyn “...is pronounced to be the first painter that
now is or ever has been in America.” ~ Aaron Burr, 1802 “The First Artist in America” is the story of John Vanderlyn, the celebrated artist who portrayed seven American presidents, rose to fame as a 19th century neoclassical history painter, and died penniless and alone in his hometown of Kingston, New York.
Thirteen-year-old Kayla endures the tidal wave of contemporary suburban adolescence as she makes her way through the last week of middle school — the end of her thus far disastrous eighth grade year — before she begins high school.
A single mother's life is thrown into turmoil after her struggling, rarely-seen younger brother returns to town.
For Miranda Wells, moving to New York to live in Dragonwyck Manor with her rich cousin, Nicholas, seems like a dream. However, the situation gradually becomes nightmarish. She observes Nicholas' troubled relationship with his tenant farmers, as well as with his daughter, to whom Miranda serves as governess. Her relationship with Nicholas intensifies after his wife dies, but his mental imbalance threatens any hope of happiness.
Mr. Chu is an elderly widower who teaches tai chi chuan in Beijing. He moves to America to live with his son's family, but finds the cultural adjustment difficult. Since his daughter-in-law is a white woman who does not speak Chinese, Mr. Chu's son, Alex, must mediate.
After 20 years on the road with Blue Oyster Cult, Jimmy Testagros returns to his hometown to life with his ailing mother. Complications arise when he falls for an old friend, who is now married to his longtime nemesis.
An introspective dentist's suspicions about his wife's infidelity stresses his mental well being and family life to the breaking point.
An in-depth look at the rapid rise and dramatic fall of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer.
When Benjamin Steed and Mary Ann Steed relocate their family to upstate New York in the early 1800's, they unwittingly settle in a town divided along religious lines. After their new hired help turns out to be at the center of the uproar, each member of the Steed family must come to terms with their own beliefs in the face of heavy persecution. Together they struggle to weather the raging controversy surrounding a young man named Joseph Smith.
A young woman goes searching for answers after her friend mysteriously vanishes in Whitehall, NY, an Adirondack town known for its Bigfoot sightings. She quickly learns that hiding in the woods is an evil more sinister than she could ever imagine.
"The Work and The Glory: American Zion" sets the story of the fictional Steed family against the historically factual backdrop of the Mormon people's move into the West. Divided by their diverse reactions to a nascent ideology, the Steeds struggle to hold together as the strength of their convictions and their filial bonds are tested. The stirring narrative of the faith that led a persecuted people to Missouri and beyond is one of the most poignant untold tales of American history. It is the account of a valiant struggle to exercise the rights promised by a fledgling nation. "The Work and the Glory: American Zion" unearths the story of the passion behind the movement which eventually launched the largest American migration and the colonization of the West: the vision of a promised land in America.
A portrayal of the early Latter-day Saints' joys, sacrifices, hopes, and trials; their epic journey to the Salt Lake Valley; and their legacy of faith in Jesus Christ.
Take a look behind the curtain to see the vast history and recent renovation of one of Rochester, New York's most famous landmarks. Architects, theater personnel, historians, community leaders, and citizens provide in depth insight from start to finish in one of the most extensive renovations the city has ever seen.
After a long day at work, Cal drives home to his suburban neighborhood and realizes that he accidentally went inside the wrong house. Inspired by true events of Levittown, NY; American's first suburb.
A hate-crime has been committed in a the small city of Braxton, N.Y. Five migrant laborers have been beaten, shot, then ditched. This will upset the delicate balance of an ethnically diverse populace.
A cattle rancher comes to the aid of farmers by heading to NYC to stop the racketeers hijacking their produce shipments.
A group of young skateboarders find direction in their lives when they move to New York and start a pickle business.
'Local Heroes' combines exhaustive research, rare archival film footage, fascinating still photography and revealing original interviews to bring viewers a fill range of the area's diamond history, from its mythical beginnings with Ballston Spa native Abner Doubleday to Heritage Park in Colonie - and everything in between.
The 73 minute film, MOUNTAIN RIVER, follows the Esopus Creek, from its headwaters on Slide Mountain in New York’s Catskill Mountains, to the Ashokan Reservoir, and on to the Hudson River at Saugerties - a fascinating journey of 65 miles. The story begins with the ancient geologic forces that formed the Catskills and goes on to explore the Native American and colonial settlements along the Esopus. The documentary covers the history of New York City’s Ashokan Reservoir, the development of water-power on the stream, and the innovative beginnings of the American Industrial Revolution along the Esopus in Saugerties. The film celebrates the Upper Esopus as a world class trout fishery, a recreational resource and a critical source of clean, unfiltered water for millions of New Yorkers. Below the Ashokan Reservoir, the Lower Esopus flows through steep gorges, rich agricultural lands and several towns on its way to the Hudson River.
There isn't much left of the once-grand Catskill Mountain House. The lavish resort hotel was perched on a precarious ledge in Greene County for over a century. During its 19th-century heyday, the hotel embodied the peak of luxury for a generation of the rich and famous. But like many resort hotels of the Catskills' glittering past, the Mountain House fell into disuse in the 20th century and was finally destroyed by the state of New York in 1963 to return its scenic overlook to wilderness. The Catskill Mountain House and The World Around was given the Gold Remi Award by the 44th WorldFest Houston International Film Festival!
John Vanderlyn “...is pronounced to be the first painter that
now is or ever has been in America.” ~ Aaron Burr, 1802 “The First Artist in America” is the story of John Vanderlyn, the celebrated artist who portrayed seven American presidents, rose to fame as a 19th century neoclassical history painter, and died penniless and alone in his hometown of Kingston, New York.