Come out for a screening of the biographical documentary film, With Peter Bradley by Alex Rappoport. Before the screening, join us at 6pm for a botanical art workshop led by acclaimed artist, Xenobia Bailey. The screening of With Peter Bradley takes place at sunset on the Gazebo Lawn.

Click here for the Staten Island Ferry schedule.
Click here for the St. George Ferry schedule from Battery Park City and Midtown West.

About the Film

When filmmaker Alex Rappoport met then-79 year old abstract artist Peter Bradley in the winter of 2020, Bradley hadn't sold many paintings nor had a major show in over four decades - yet he still painted every day in a shipping container studio heated by a wood stove. Over time, the pair recorded Peter's fascinating story, seemingly overlooked in art history. Bradley was the first Black haute art dealer in New York; likely the first Black abstract artist represented by a major New York gallery; and curator of what is considered the first integrated modern art show in America. Talented, willful and arrogant, Bradley lived life to its fullest - until he fell upon hard times in the 1980s that nearly ended his career.

At once an intimate portrait and a deep study of creative process, With Peter Bradley is situated entirely at the artist’s rural home and studio, and unfolds over the course of changing seasons. The sole figure on screen, Bradley narrates his life in a series of conversations: often provocative, sometimes bitter, and full of surprises. We meet the artist at a critical juncture - deeply committed to the expressive power of color, painting gorgeous pictures at a prolific pace, but without an audience to appreciate them. Despite this lack of recognition, the film is buoyed by Peter’s exuberant spirit and warm sense of humor.

About Alex Rappoport

About our Summer Series

During this annual series, AFF presents free programs throughout NYC, in public venues and city parks, including screenings of African cinema and family-friendly events such as the annual Family Day Celebration on Governors Island. Learn More