MUSCARELLE EXPLORATIONS: Art and Craft Film Streaming

Join us for a virtual screening of Art and Craft! The film starts out as a cat-and-mouse art caper, rooted in questions of authorship and authenticity–but what emerges is an intimate story of obsession and the universal need for community, appreciation, and purpose. Mark Landis has been called one of the most prolific art forgers in US history. His impressive body of work spans thirty years, covering a wide range of painting styles and periods that includes 15th century icons, Picasso, and even Walt Disney. And, while the copies could fetch impressive sums on the open market, Landis isn’t in it for money. Posing as a philanthropic donor, a grieving executor of a family member’s will, and most recently as a Jesuit priest, Landis has given away hundreds of falsified works over the years to a staggering list of institutions across the United States. But after duping a tenacious museum registrar who ultimately discovers the decades-long practice, Landis must confront his own legacy and a chorus of museum professionals clamoring for him to stop.