Lots of Fun in Historic Silver City, Nevada on May 16th
Silver City, Nevada -An afternoon full of nostalgic events in the historic community of Silver City, Nevada offers fun for both residents and the public.
The series of May 16th events will kick off at 2pm with a free street dance on Main Street with live music by Red Rose and others. At around 3pm on Main Street, past and present residents of Silver City will gather for a town photo recreating a much-loved 1976 town photo by Jake Wise.
The public is also invited to view a Comstock rock and roll music memorabilia collection owned by local Mary MacDonald (1960’s to present) beginning at 10am at the nearby School House (community center) at 385 High Street.
Additionally, there will be a history display at the School House, organized by the Silver City Arts group, featuring rarely seen photos and essays demonstrating the “cultural re-population” of Silver City between 1965 and 2005.
Finally, refreshments and a free screening of the director’s cut of Silver City native Mary Works Covington’s documentary “Life and Times of the Red Dog Saloon” will begin at the School House at 6pm, with a Q & A by the director and some of those in the documentary. The film and cultural re-population display are hosted by Silver City Arts and are part of Nevada’s annual Historic Preservation celebration. For more information about the film screening and the history display, call Quest Lakes at (775) 847-0742
Silver City NV class of 1949. The School House was built in 1867 and served as a school house until 1958.
Further Details About the Film and History Display:
Film Screening May 16th at 6pm: The free film screening and photo display are both part of Nevada’s annual Historic Preservation celebrations. “Life and Times of the Red Dog Saloon” will be introduced by the film’s creator, Silver City native Mary Works Covington at 6pm.
Her father, Don Works, was one of the founders of the Red Dog Saloon in Virginia City, and Don and other Silver City residents such as Robert Elston, Travus T. Hipp, and Lynne Hughes are among those in the documentary. Covington explains, “The film explores, among other things, the role of the Red Dog Saloon in helping to create and establish the formula for the psychedelic dancehall that became the backbone of the psychedelic music scene later in San Francisco.” In the 60’s, legendary bands like The Charlatans and Big Brother and the Holding Company played there as well as the PH Phactor Jug Band, Wildflower and Final Solution and many others. At the conclusion of the film, several long time residents will comment on cultural changes they’ve noted in Silver City during the last 40 years.
Mary Works Covington is also known for her work as assistant sound and/or dialog editor for films like Titanic, Saving Private Ryan, The English Patient, Contact, The Talented Mr. Ripley and many other films. She is currently the community arts development program coordinator with the Nevada Arts Council.
May 16th display on the “Cultural Re-Population” of Silver City 1965-2005: In addition to the Red Dog film screening, the evening will also include a display of photos, posters, essays, artwork, and newspaper columns illustrating a cultural shift in Silver City from 1965 to 2005. The arrival of some of those interviewed in the Red Dog film marked the beginnings of something local Joe McCarthy describes as a “cultural re-population”, when the demographics of the town took a sharp turn. Records indicate a change in the education, occupation, age and population of the town beginning in the early 1960’s. For more information about the film screening and the display, call Quest Lakes at (775) 847-0742.
Tell Me About Silver City: Silver City has a cultural heritage rich in both arts and history. Since the late 1960’s, the town has been a magnet for the “creative class.”* Today creativity flourishes alongside entrepreneurial initiative, and the town is a virtual hive of creative industries and in-home studios and offices for artists, musicians, writers, researchers, photographers, and craftspeople. In fact, the thriving and close-knit mountain community, located within a National Historic Landmark, was recently declared an “Arts and Culture Production Center.” Plein air painters and photographers from near and far are attracted to Silver City’s checkerboard of irreplaceable historic buildings and sites, and architecturally unique modern homes perched on hillsides in order to take advantage of the breathtaking views of the Sierras and the Comstock. Residents have an unusually strong ethos of volunteerism, organizing many community events throughout the year. The town is also the site of a number of annual events and programs open to the public.
*Creative Class: an economic development term for people with occupations in science, education, computer programming, research, arts, design, media, economics, finance, and law.
