(SUMMIT, NJ) -- This spring, in collaboration with The Film Society of Summit, the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey will present a series of documentary screenings of films focused on the contemporary art world. Films to be screened include Kusama Infinity, Exhibition on Screen: Young Picasso, and 306 Hollywood.
“It’s important for the Art Center to partner with other community organizations,” explained Sarah Walko, Director of Education and Community Programs. “Events like these offer different avenues into the conversation on contemporary art. Films, specifically, show the details of artists’ lives, artistic processes, and stories surrounding the work in a format that is informative and entertaining. Further, pairing the film series with the Art Center’s winter/spring exhibitions creates a complementary experience for people who are interested in art.”
Kusama Infinity, directed by Heather Lenz, will be screened on Friday, March 1, at 8:00pm at MONDO in Summit (426 Springfield Avenue). The subject of the film, Yayoi Kusama, has been a working artist for more than six decades and has gained worldwide recognition as a result of creating her Infinity Mirror rooms, which have exhibited to record numbers of visitors across the globe. The film features the artist and art experts discussing her life and work, beginning with her modest beginnings in Japan through becoming an internationally renowned artist. Art historian Midori Yamamura, who is featured in the film, will lead a post-screening discussion.
Exhibition on Screen: Young Picasso, directed by Phil Grabsky, will be screened on Friday, April 5, at 8:00pm at MONDO. This film looks at two key periods in Picasso’s early career—the so-called Blue Period and Rose Period—taking us all the way to 1907 and the creation of Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, a painting that both shocked and irrevocably changed the art world. Working closely with Spain’s Museu Picasso and Museo Picasso Málaga, as well as France’s Musée national Picasso-Paris, the film explores Picasso’s rise to the top of the art world.
306 Hollywood, directed by Jonathan and Elan Bogarin, will be screened on Saturday, May 4, at 7:00pm at the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey (68 Elm Street, Summit). This film follows the sibling filmmakers’ archaeological excavation of their late-grandmother Annette Ontell 's Hillside, NJ, home; a process which transformed the dusty fragments of an unassuming life into an epic metaphor for the nature of memory, time, and history. The Bogarins bring the viewer along on a journey to find what life remains in the objects we leave behind. Ultimately a profound reflection on how we examine and deal with the past, the film can also be viewed as a quirky instruction manual on how to live in the present. The screening will be preceded by a wine and cheese reception and a curator-led tour of the Art Center’s current exhibitions. Following the screening, a Q&A session will be held with one of the filmmakers.
Tickets for Kusama Infinity and Exhibition on Screen: Young Picasso are $12 in advance, and $14 at the door. Tickets for both films can be purchased in advance as a package for $20. To reserve advance tickets, please email summitfilm@gmail.com.
Tickets for 306 Hollywood and the related activities occurring before and after the screening are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased at artcenternj.org.
The Film Society of Summit is a non-profit organization with the goals of promoting the appreciation of independent film and providing a platform for discussion on the art of film. They offer year-round screenings and special events centered on contemporary domestic and international films, often with special guests attending for post-screening question and answer sessions. Screenings are held at MONDO, in Summit, NJ.
For 85 years, the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey has been exclusively dedicated to viewing, making, and learning about contemporary art. Recognized as a leading non-profit arts organization, the Art Center’s renowned Studio School, acclaimed exhibitions, and educational outreach initiatives serve thousands of youth, families, seniors, and people with special needs every year.
The Visual Arts Center of New Jersey is located at 68 Elm Street in Summit, NJ. Adult and children’s group tours are available throughout the year. Gallery Hours: Monday–Wednesday and Friday, 10 AM–5 PM; Thursday, 10 AM–8 PM; and Saturday & Sunday, 11 AM–4 PM.
Major support for the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey is provided in part by the Peter R. & Cynthia K. Kellogg Foundation; the Wilf Family Foundations; and Art Center members and donors.
