Press Release
Freshfields Village, in partnership with the Benjamin Walls Gallery, will host a weekend-long art exhibit and exclusive pre-release screening of the award-winning film KIFARU on the Village Green. The Art of Adventure: A Weekend of Art & Film at Freshfields Village will take place February 14th to 17th, 2020 to coincide with the annual Freshfields Village Art & Wine Walk.
“We're excited to partner with Benjamin Walls to showcase an exhibit of his best large-scale pieces, and to also support his mission of conservation, both domestically and abroad,” Trish Pruitt, Freshfields Village marketing director, said. “At Freshfields Village, we strive to create memorable experiences for our guests. This exhibit, paired with our annual Art & Wine Walk and the screening of KIFARU, will be a unique and educational experience.”
As a contemporary renaissance man, Walls is an internationally acclaimed artist, avid environmentalist, and successful entrepreneur. Walls' artwork has received seven international awards, and has been displayed in dozens of museums, including five exhibits at the Smithsonian and twice at the Natural History Museum of London. His work with major conservation organizations such as the Jane Goodall Institute has assisted nonprofits in raising over $500,000.
“I’m honored to join Freshfields Village in this special weekend-long exhibit and screening of KIFARU at Freshfields Village.” said Walls. “I’m looking forward to sharing my best work with the Lowcountry, while also sharing the importance of conservation.”
The Freshfields Village screening will debut an exclusive showing of KIFARU before its release to the public. The film is a feature-length documentary following the lives of two young, Kenyan recruits who join Ol Pejeta Conservancy’s rhino caretaker unit – a small group of rangers that protect and care for Sudan, the last male Northern White Rhino in the world. Spanning the course of the caretakers' first four years on the job, KIFARU allows viewers to intimately experience the joys and pitfalls of wildlife conservation firsthand through the eyes of these Kenyan rhino caretakers.
The screening of this film is significant today as the race to save the Northern White Rhino from extinction plays out in real time. As an executive producer of KIFARU, Walls will be introducing the film at the 4 pm Saturday screening, and sharing the latest developments in the quest to save the Northern White Rhino.
The annual Freshfields Village Art & Wine Walk will take place on Friday, February 14th from 4 pm to 7 pm. Residents and visitors are invited to watch live art demonstrations, view works from local and visiting artists, and enjoy live jazz music and wine tastings in participating retail stores. A list of participating stores and artists is available here.
The Art of Adventure: A Weekend of Art & Film at Freshfields Village Event Schedule:
- Friday, February 14th – Wall's exhibit will be open from 10 am to 9 pm and the Art & Wine Walk will take place from 4 pm to 7 pm. An opening reception with Walls will take place at on the Village Green at 5:30 pm.
- Saturday, February 15th – the exhibit will be open from 9 am to 9 pm with the exclusive pre-release screening of KIFARU at 4 pm, which tells the story of the pending extinction of the Northern White Rhino.
- Sunday, February 16th – the exhibit continues from 10 am to 7 pm.
- Monday, February 17th – the exhibit will be open from 10 am to 12 pm.
Additional presentations and events will be added throughout the weekend. Walls will also be available throughout the weekend to personalize copies of his book BEYOND, with a foreword by Dolly Parton. For more information about this event, visit https://freshfieldsvillage.
