Events

As part of the ongoing Bright Lights Revealed series, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and The Helis Foundation John Scott Center will highlight recent and past Humanities Awards recipients. Louisiana Public Broadcasting ‘s “The Precipice,” directed by Ben Johnson and produced by Linda Midgett, is the 2024 Humanities Documentary Film of the Year winner. The film tells the story of the The Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe, a community literally on the precipice as they fight to save their home and maintain their culture and language.

Admission to the center and the screening will be free and open to the public.

This screening will be followed by a discussion and Q&A moderated by producer Lauren Domino. Attendees are also invited to visit the center before or after the screenings to view the exhibition.

The Precipice
LEH Documentary Film of the Year 2024
Saturday, July 27, 3-6 p.m.
The Helis Foundation John Scott Center, 938 Lafayette Street in New Orleans
Run Time: 1 hour 58 minutes
Producer Lauren Domino in conversation with filmmaker Ben Johnson

We invite you to come, read John T. Scott’s letters, and write your own to someone (or someones!) you wish to strengthen a connection to.

Artist, educator, and humanist, John T. Scott, stayed connected to many he met through written letters. He wrote to friends, family, colleagues, former students, and those he came across while traveling. These beautiful compositions were in themselves works of art, as Scott was a master of calligraphy who also included watercolors and drawings. He would make his own beautiful envelopes, as well. In the spirit of connectedness, we invite you to come, read his letters, and write your own to someone (or someones!) you wish to strengthen a connection to. Come to one, or come to all three. Guidance for writing and envelope making, stationery, stamps, decorative elements, and art materials will be provided.

Session One – How you’ve been?
John Scott’s letters were deeply personal and commonly featured updates about his life, his family, and his art. He also used his letters as an opportunity to learn about the recipient’s life, family, and art. In this session we are holding time and space for attendees to write to someone about how they’ve been, while also asking about the person on the receiving end of the letter.

About the Facilitator: Kyley Pulphus-Smith is a mama, educator, and writer from New Orleans. She received her BA in Communications from the University of New Orleans, her MFA in filmmaking from Florida State University, and her PhD in Curriculum & Instruction from Louisiana State University. Kyley was a skilled classroom teacher, teacher coach, and teacher consultant for the Greater New Orleans Writing Project. She was also the founding program director of a youth writing nonprofit, where, under her stewardship, she supported thousands of young people in strengthening their writing skills. She oversaw the publishing of 30 books of youth writing, worked with dozens of teachers, and facilitated many professional development workshops. She received several honors, most recently earning the International Literacy Association’s Helen M. Robinson award. Kyley was also recognized as one of Gambit’s 40 under 40 and a Millennial Educator of the Year Finalist. She is currently the education director of KID smART, an arts-integration organization. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her loved ones, delicious small-batch ice cream, and dancing, especially to brass band music.

As part of the ongoing Bright Lights Revealed series, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and The Helis Foundation John Scott Center will highlight recent and past Humanities Awards recipients. A Man and His Trumpet: The Leroy Jones Story , directed by Cameron Washington, was the 2019 Humanities Documentary Film of the Year and follows the fascinating life story of trumpeter Leroy Jones. From the projects of New Orleans, Jones goes on to lead the brass band revival, and eventually catches the ear of Harry Connick Jr. before becoming known worldwide.

The screening will take place at the center and will include a discussion following the film with director Cameron Washington. Admission to the center and the screening will be free and open to the public.

This screening will be followed by a discussion and Q&A moderated by producer Lauren Domino. Attendees are also invited to visit the center before or after the screenings to view the exhibition.

A Man and His Trumpet: The Leroy Jones Story
LEH Documentary Film of the Year 2019
Saturday, August 10, 3 p.m.
Run Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Producer Lauren Domino in conversation with filmmaker Cameron Washington

We invite you to come, read John T. Scott’s letters, and write your own to someone (or someones!) you wish to strengthen a connection to.

Artist, educator, and humanist, John T. Scott, stayed connected to many he met through written letters. He wrote to friends, family, colleagues, former students, and those he came across while traveling. These beautiful compositions were in themselves works of art, as Scott was a master of calligraphy who also included watercolors and drawings. He would make his own beautiful envelopes, as well. In the spirit of connectedness, we invite you to come, read his letters, and write your own to someone (or someones!) you wish to strengthen a connection to. Come to one, or come to all three. Guidance for writing and envelope making, stationery, stamps, decorative elements, and art materials will be provided.

Session Two – I Saw This and I Thought of You
Quite often in his letters, John Scott would share recommendations or poetry he thought would resonate with the recipient. In this session, we are holding time and space for attendees to share a recommendation (a movie, a song, a restaurant, a poem, etc.) they believe the recipient would appreciate.

About the Facilitator: Kyley Pulphus-Smith is a mama, educator, and writer from New Orleans. She received her BA in Communications from the University of New Orleans, her MFA in filmmaking from Florida State University, and her PhD in Curriculum & Instruction from Louisiana State University. Kyley was a skilled classroom teacher, teacher coach, and teacher consultant for the Greater New Orleans Writing Project. She was also the founding program director of a youth writing nonprofit, where, under her stewardship, she supported thousands of young people in strengthening their writing skills. She oversaw the publishing of 30 books of youth writing, worked with dozens of teachers, and facilitated many professional development workshops. She received several honors, most recently earning the International Literacy Association’s Helen M. Robinson award. Kyley was also recognized as one of Gambit’s 40 under 40 and a Millennial Educator of the Year Finalist. She is currently the education director of KID smART, an arts-integration organization. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her loved ones, delicious small-batch ice cream, and dancing, especially to brass band music.