On the 55th anniversary of the Kent State shootings, Devo’s Gerald V. Casale and Modern Props’ John Zabrucky will speak at Medici Museum of Art about their experiences that day on campus and the careers that followed.

Zabrucky is a 1965 Warren G. Harding High School graduate, and some of the work he created for film and television currently is on display at Medici in the exhibition “Sci-Fi + Hollywood: The Art of John Zabrucky.” He donated more than 500 props in 2023 to the Trumbull County Historical Society, and that collection will be the foundation for a planned Museum of Science Fiction and Fantasy Arts in Warren.

The May 4 program will be a fundraiser for that effort.

“Having heard some of these stories when we were in California to see the Modern Props’ collection, I know how fascinating this program will be,” said Ryan MacLennan, TCHS director of education and outreach. “In addition to Kent State, how they have maintained this friendship through their careers and their successes, I think that will be truly compelling.”

Zabrucky and Casale were both in front of the National Guard when the shooting started at Kent State University on May 4, 1970.

“Most of the people that got wounded or killed were behind my friends and I,” Casale said. “We have a theory — these guys were at the top of the hill, and we were at the bottom of the hill looking up at them. I think we were so close, although they had gas masks on, they could see us. In other words, they were looking at individuals, right? And we were about the same age, so they could see our faces. I think they shot over our heads.”

Zabrucky’s first confrontation with the National Guard came one day earlier, when a guardsman objected to a photo he staged in front of one of their Jeeps, a photo of a young woman lying dead in front of a National Guardsman that proved to be eerily prophetic. The guardsman took a swing at Zabrucky with the butt of his rifle, destroying Zabrucky’s camera instead of shattering his skull.

Zabrucky became the creative force behind Modern Props, and the pieces he designed have been featured in hundreds of films and television episodes, including “Blade Runner,” “Ghostbusters,” “Men in Black,” “Batman Returns,” “Spider-Man 2” and various “Star Trek” properties.

Casale became a founder of Devo, the innovative and influential band that had mainstream success while also pushing boundaries with its look, music and acerbic lyrics. Casale wrote or co-wrote many of the band’s best known songs, including “Whip It,” “Girl U Want,” “Mongoloid,” “Freedom of Choice,” “That’s Good” and “Beautiful World” in addition to directing most of Devo’s video works and designing the group’s costumes and stage shows.

At 7 p.m May 4 at Medici, Zabrucky and Casale will share stories of their experiences on May 4 at Kent State, their intersecting careers — Zabrucky helped Devo get its record deal and was art director on the “Whip It” video; the first props Zabrucky built were made while he was living in Casale’s dining room — and their friendship of nearly 60 years. Many of these stories will be told publicly for the first time.

Less than 200 tickets will be available for this program. Tickets are $100 VIP (which includes preferred seating, a meet-and-greet with Casale and Zabrucky before the lecture and a professionally shot photo with both) and $30 general admission with no additional ticketing fees. Tickets go on sale at 4 p.m. today at the Trumbull County Historical Society’s website, trumbullcountyhistory.org. For more information, call 330-394-4653.