Susan Dobinsky Collection
Inclusive Dates
1988 – 1990
Preservation Sponsor
Susan Dobinsky
Larry Shulman
Abstract
The Susan Dobinsky Collection consists of outtakes and elements from an unfinished film made about murals in Chicago shot during 1988-1991. The footage captures murals in the neighborhoods of Pilsen, Little Village, West Town, and Humboldt Park during this time; accompanying audio tapes feature interviews with local artists. The unfinished film was spearheaded by Dobinsky and Julia Kurtz and funded primarily through a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, and supported by filmmakers Ronn Bayly and Susan Regele's then Chicago-based company Lightbound, which was active from 1980-1990.
Description
Much of the footage shot includes street scenes, interviews with muralists, as well as close ups of distinct murals, some of which no longer exist. Some of the public figures interviewed include Sandra Antongiorgi (an artist and musician), Cuban-American artist José Bernal, and Spanish artist José Guerrero, among others.
A few of the audio tapes in the collection also feature a soundtrack composed for the film by Fareed Haque, a music professor at Northern Illinois University whom Ronn Bayly had contacted to provide music.
Collection Items
To request more information about the items in this collection, please contact the archive at
info@chicagofilmarchives.org.
Items with Viewable Media
- 3/20 José / Ext - Field House / Murals
- 3/20 José On Cam Interview #1 + Wild RL #2 Sync (Audio)
- 3/20 José Painting RL #1
- 3/20 José Painting RL #2
- 3/20 José Rl 3 Interview
- 8/6/88 Fest De Sol
- 8/6/88 Fiesta del Sol (Audio)
- 8/6 - - Murals RL #1 Sandra at BJ
- 8/12/89 José Inter #2 RL #1 / Murals
- 8/12/89 José Inter #2 RL #2 / Murals
- 10/16/88 Ivan RL 4
- 10/29 - RL 1 Murals / José - Plan 21 / Mostly Sync
- 10/29 RL B1 Murals Little Vill
- 10/29 - RL B3 / Murals / Little Vill. Plan 21 - Cutaways
- 11/18 Murals Reel #1
- 11/18 Murals Reel #2
- 12/11 Sandra Murals
- 12/17 - Murals / Sandra B Roll Murals / Sc1 Olga/Loyola
- Curie 1/13/89 Reel 1 - [Division?] (Audio)
- Final trims
- Interview RL #1 - Murals 9/18/88 - "Lurides" - Olga (Audio)
- Isela RL #1 - Murals 10/8/88 - Interview #1 (Audio)
- Ivan 1/13 Dark Room RL #1 Non-Sync
- Ivan - 10/16/88 Photographing Murals - RL 1
- Ivan 10/16 Describing Mural Sync RL 3
- Ivan 10/16 / Strike Timed WP
- Ivan + Darkroom 1 / Sandra Painting - Day / 3/12 / Murals
- Ivan For Film Reel 2 + 3 / Non-sync Wild Sound "Migration" Inverview / Ivan-Audio RL 1 10/16/88 (Audio)
- Ivan Interview #1 9/18/88 Murals Off-Cam (Audio)
- Ivan - Interview #2 9/18/88 - Murals (Audio)
- Ivan - Interview #3 9/18/88 Murals (Audio)
- Ivan RL 1 3/12 Interview Sync
- Ivan Trims
- Jose Painting Boy/Girl 17.
- Jose RL #1 10/8/88 José Painting / Non Sync
- Jose RL #3 10/8/88 "B" Roll of Murals From Descriptions
- José 3/20 Interview RL #4 / Murals
- José 3/20 On Cam Inter #1 RL #1 Sync (Audio)
- José 10/15/88 - RL #2 Interview - Murals (Audio)
- José - at P.D., at B.J.H.S.
- José Int. / Sync Pix
- José Int. / Sync Trk
- José - Interview RL #1 Murals 10/15 (Audio)
- José - Murals 10/8/88 RL #3 - Wild Sound - Area around where José's painting (Audio)
- Little Village Street Scenes + Smash Plan 21 Cutaways / Murals 10/29
- Murals 1/13 Sandra. Currie + Cooper
- "Murals" 1) José - 10/8/88 - Describes Boys/Girls Club Mural 2) José - 3/20/89 - Talking to Friends at Park Service Mural - Sc 6, 7 + 8 (Audio)
- "Murals" 1) José 10/29/88 Describes "Ban Plan 21" Mural 2) Olga - 11/13 - w/ Sis on Walk at Ben. Juar. Sc 1, 2 + 3 (Audio)
- "Murals" 1) Olga - 12/11/88 - Describes Lawndale Bank Mural 2) Sandra - 1/13/89 - Describes Cooper School Mural (Audio)
- "Murals" 3/12/89 Ivan On-Cam Interview (Audio)
- "Murals" 3/12/89 Sandra On-Cam Interview Film RL #1 Part of #2 (Audio)
- "Murals" 3/12/89 Sandra On-Cam Interview Film RL #2 (rest of) (Audio)
- "Murals" 3/14/89 Olga On-Cam Interview Film RL #1 + 2 (Audio)
- "Murals" 3/14/89 Olga On-Cam Interview (Rest of) Film RL #2 (Audio)
- Murals - 3/14/89 Wild Sound Sandra Art Class (Mural) Hall [?] / Curie (Audio)
- Murals 3/14 / Sandra Art Class/Curie Rl #1
- Murals 3/14 / Sandra - Art Class w/ Mural RL 2
- Murals - 8/6/89 RL #2 Sandra at Bo Jo
- Murals - 8/6/89 RL #3 Sandra at Fiesta De Sol
- Murals 8/6/89 Wild Sound Sandra at BJ (Audio)
- "Murals" 8/12/89 José On-Cam Interview #2 Film RL 1 + 2 (Audio)
- Murals 10/8/88 José Sync Describing Mural / José RL#2
- Murals 10/26/89 Sandra Describes Mural RL #1
- Murals 10/26/89 Sandra Describes Mural RL #2
- Murals 10/26/89 Sandra Describing Drug Mural (Audio)
- "Murals" 10/29/88 José - Off Camera Interview at Ban Plan 21 Wild Street Snds at Ban Plan 21 (Audio)
- Murals 11/25/89 Selected Wild Sounds (Audio)
- Murals - 12/11 Olga - Describ. Lawndale Bank
- Murals I
- Murals II
- "Murals" Ivan - 10/16/88 - describes "Youth Indecision" mural Film RL #3 (Audio)
- "Murals" Ivan - 10/16/88 Wild Sounds "Youth In Indecision" Mural (Audio)
- "Murals" Off-Cam Comments Ivan Sandra Olga (Audio)
- Murals Olga 3/14 Inter RL #3
- Murals Olga 3/14 Inter RL #4 Plus Pics
- "Murals" Sandra - 1/13/89 Wild Sound, Cooper School Office (Audio)
- New Murals I
- Nikko - Banquet Time Lapse 7-14-88
- Olga 3/14 Inter. RL #1 / Murals
- Olga describing Mural/HD
- Olga - Inter. RL #2 3/14
- Olga/Loyola 12/30 Sandra/[?] 1/17
- Olga Murals RL #1 11/13/88
- Olga RL #2 11/13/88 Murals
- Olga - RL #2 - Interview - 9/18/88 Murals (Audio)
- Olga - RL #3 - 9/18/88 Interview Murals (Audio)
- Olga's Murals 12/4
- Olga's Murals 12/4
- Rayly - Regele "Murals" R# AFV 1
- RL #4 - Olga - Murals 9/18/88 (Audio)
- Sandra 1/12/89 - RL 2 Interview
- Sandra 1/13 Currie
- Sandra 3/12 Interview RL #2
- Sandra at School
- Sandra / Cooper 1/13 / Ivan - Dark Room 3/12
- Sandra - interview - off-camera 11/19/88 (Audio)
- Sandra Painting 3/12 / Murals
- Sandra - Trims
- Snd Effects for [slate?] 11/18/89 (Audio)
- Sync Test 9/24/88 (Audio)
- [Untitled] (Audio)
- [Untitled] (Audio)
- W/P - Reel #1 8/6/88 Festival De Sol
Collection Identifier
C.2021-10
Extent of Collection
60 16mm film reels totaling approximately 24,700 feet; 40 open reel audio tapes.
Language Of Materials
English
Subject
Custodial History
The films were transferred to CFA in 2021.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open to on-site access. Appointments must be made with Chicago Film Archives. Due to the fragile nature of the films, only video copies will be provided for on-site viewing.
Creators
Dobinsky, Susan
(was created by)
During her time as a graduate student at the University of Illinois Chicago earning her Master's degree in Spanish, Susan Dobinsky became interested in photographing murals and talking to community members about them. She then worked with colleague Julie Kurtz, a translator with a background in Spanish language and folklore, to try to "decode" the visual language of images depicted within murals, producing several articles for academic journals on the subject.
One of the articles, published circa 1986, caught the eye of then Chicago-based filmmakers Ronn Bayly and Susan Regele, who became interested in working on a film about the topic. The group received a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, and began filming soon after. In 1990, the group ran out of funding, and were thus unable to finish the film.
One of the articles, published circa 1986, caught the eye of then Chicago-based filmmakers Ronn Bayly and Susan Regele, who became interested in working on a film about the topic. The group received a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, and began filming soon after. In 1990, the group ran out of funding, and were thus unable to finish the film.