FSCC making plans for Parks' birthday

The Gordon Parks Center at Fort Scott Community College plans to celebrate the anniversary of the Fort Scott native's birthday on Monday, Nov. 30.

The event, which is free of charge and open to the public, will feature various films about Parks or directed by Parks that will be shown throughout the day.

Films that will be shown include "Documenting the Face of America: Roy Stryker and the F.S.A. Photographers," a documentary that features Parks and other Farm Security Administration photographers. The film, which will be shown from 11 a.m. to noon Monday, previously aired on PBS.

"Moments Without Proper Names," an older documentary about Parks, will be shown from 1 to 2 p.m. "The Learning Tree," a 1969 autobiographical film written and directed by Parks will be shown from 2 to 4 p.m. The film was shot entirely in Fort Scott. The final film of the day is "Half Past Autumn," a documentary on Parks that first aired on HBO.

Parks, born in Fort Scott on Nov. 30, 1912, would have been 97 this year. He died in March 2006 at the age of 93 and is buried near his parents in Evergreen Cemetery.

"Gordon's birth date is a time to remember him as an artist and to show some of his body of work," Gordon Parks Museum and Center Director Jill Warford said. "We hope that people can come out and see at least one of these films." The films will be shown in the theatre of the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center, 2108 S. Horton St.

For more information, contact Warford at (620) 223-2700, extension 515, or by e-mail at jillw@fortscott.edu.