Get Tickets For The Premiere of Rep Co’s Latest Film

“Illustrating Black History” premieres on February 18 at the de Young Museum. Here’s how you can attend this special screening.

A creative director at the top of his career who suddenly starts questioning everything. A soul-shifting trip down to Mexico. An artistic exercise undertaken alone, that suddenly and powerfully engages hundreds of thousands around the world. “Illustrating Black History” is short documentary film that follows the artist, writer and designer George McCalman, the force behind the acclaimed new book, llustrated Black History: Honoring the Iconic and the Unseen. What started with McCalman examining his own place in the world eventually evolved into a collection of 145 original portraits and profiles that celebrates Black pioneers — famous and little-known — in politics, science, literature, music, and more.

On Saturday, February 18, 2023 at 1 pm, the film “Illustrating Black History” will premiere at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, inside the hallowed Koret Theater. The event is free to the public, but seating is limited and unassigned. Program tickets will be distributed on a first-come first-served basis in front of the Koret Auditorium an hour before the program begins. Following the 15-minute film, McCalman will be live in conversation with poet, playwright, essayist, preacher, teacher, and speaker Marvin K. White. The afternoon of Black history and conversation closes with a book signing. You can purchase your copy in person at the de Young Museum Store or order it online.

The film “Illustrating Black History” was produced by Represent Collaborative and came together thanks to a passionate and talented team led by director Khamisi Norwood, who spent countless hours with McCalman, both in riveting conversation and quiet observation. The final product is an intimate behind-the-scenes look at McCalman’s creative process and artistic journey—a multiyear process that nearly broke him at times. Grammy-nominated jazz trumpeter and composer Ambrose Akinmusire provided the score to this inspiring story of struggle, discovery and triumph.

Watch the trailer below, and see you at the theater!