On view is a small portion of material from the collection of the late Oxford resident and beloved bohemian, Ron Shapiro. Affectionately known as Ronzo , Shapiro was born in St. Louis, Missouri and made his way to Oxford after his military service during the Vietnam War. He was running a movie theater in Wyoming, when a girlfriend attending the University of Mississippi convinced him to move to Oxford in the 1970s.
A champion of the arts, Shapiro took it upon himself to provide an alternative entertainment option to the existing mainstream cinema. He found an old building, renovated it, and created the Hoka Theater, showing independent films until it closed in 1997. Many of the items on display appeared on the walls of the Hoka.https://egrove.olemiss.edu/jdw_exhibits/1024/thumbnail.jp
