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LAEMMLE LIVE: presents Street Symphony with Vijay Gupta – Sunday, April 30, 2017

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FALL16-Gupta-Box-01 2Please join us for a very special event as LAEMMLE LIVE presents STREET SYMPHONY Sunday, April 30, 2017. Vijay Gupta, LA Philharmonic violinist and founder of STREET SYMPHONY will perform with fellow Street Symphony musicians, Jin Shan Dai, violin; Michael Larco, viola; and Dahae Kim, cello.  Their program will include Dvořák: String Quartet #12 “American” and music by Duke Ellington. KUSC Announcer Rich Capparela will host and join Vijay in conversation to raise awareness of the humanity of people experiencing homelessness.  We are honored Street Symphony, a ground-breaking non-profit that connects professional musicians with these communities is bringing this life-affirming program to Santa Monica.

Today, Skid Row is the epicenter of the homeless capital of the United States. Nearly 20,000 people may sleep on the streets of downtown Los Angeles on any given night. Los Angeles County jails are the largest in America, and are effectively the largest in-patient mental health centers in the world. These communities comprise the audiences of Street Symphony. 

Street SymphonyIn the course of the last 4 years, the distinguished musicians of Street Symphony have presented nearly 200 free, live musical engagements with the Los Angeles community, presenting events in Skid Row, the greater Los Angeles Area and the LA County Jails. They bring jazz. They bring gypsy music. They bring the works of Schumann, Schubert and Mendelssohn. They bring music to lift up the brave stories and voices of people who, although living in an impoverished situation, are in no way impoverished in spirit.

VIJAY GUPTA is a violinist, speaker, and passionate advocate for the dedicated presence of citizen-artists in social and civic discourse. Gupta joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2007 at the age of 19, after completing an undergraduate degree in biology and a Master’s degree in violin performance from the Yale School of Music. Gupta made his solo debut with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta at age 11 and has performed on an international scale since the age of 8. 

A gifted spokesperson for the power of arts to change lives, Gupta believes that musical engagement reconnects us to our shared humanity across vast divides, and ultimately impacts social justice. Gupta is a TED Senior Fellow and currently serves on the board of directors of the DC-based national arts advocacy organization Americans for the Arts. In 2015, at the age of 27, he was presented with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by the University of La Verne.

Vijay Gupta currently plays a 1731 Domenico Montagnana violin on generous loan through the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association.

RSVP using Eventbrite
This is a Free Event

EVENT DETAILS
Sunday, April 30, 2017
11:00 AM
Monica Film Center

LAEMMLE LIVE: Presents Lincoln Middle School Madrigal Singers – Sunday March 5, 2017

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Join us at the MLincoln New Photoonica Film Center on Sunday, March 5, 2017 for Laemmle Live’s third concert featuring Lincoln Middle School Madrigal Singers. The program will include a variety of classical and popular music, folk songs and audience participation, too!  Under the direction of Vanessa Counte, Choral Director, the Madrigal Singers are an audition-based a cappella ensemble that perform as part of Santa Monica’s Lincoln Middle School choral program. They meet once a week to rehearse and focus on Renaissance through contemporary a cappella choral literature. Recipients of top ratings in Southern California Festivals, they have been guest performers at local elementary schools, cub scout holiday meetings and the Aga Khan Foundation Walk.

Vanessa Counte has been the Choir Director at Lincoln Middle School since 2005. Mrs. Counte earned her BA in Music Education at Western Michigan University. An active member of the American Choral Directors Association and the Southern California Vocal Association, she is currently finishing her Master of Music in Choral Conducting through CAL State LA’s three summer program.

RSVP using Eventbrite
This is a Free Event!

EVENT DETAILS
Sunday, March 5, 2017
11:00 AM
Monica Film Center

Q&A with YOU’RE KILLING ME, SUSANA Director Roberto Sneider this Friday at the Playhouse.

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YOU’RE KILLING ME, SUSANA director Roberto Sneider will participate in a Q&A following the 7:10pm screening on Friday, March 10 at the Playhouse in Pasadena.

Rosamond Purcell: An Art That Nature Makes – Photo Exhibit + Doc

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It’s the majesty of the weird … the contemplation of the ordinary.
– Director Erroll Morris

An Art in the Arthouse exclusive! We are currently exhibiting the acclaimed work of master photographer ROSAMOND PURCELL.  Recently called “our greatest living 17th Century photographer” by the New York Times, Purcell’s  photos are on display upstairs at the Monica Film Center’s mezzanine lounge.  They can be viewed in conjunction with the documentary film about the artist: AN ART THAT NATURE MAKES.  Don’t miss out on this rare chance to view the film and the art at the same time.  All works are for sale. Proceeds benefit the Laemmle Foundation.

MM7385_060330_00048 - IbisAbout the Exhibit:

As a fledgling photographer, Rosamond Purcell wasn’t quite satisfied with capturing people; she shifted her lens early on to uncover the secret lives of the objects that surround us.

Many of the photographs featured in the recently released documentary by Molly Bernstein,  An Art That Nature Makes, are currently included in an exhibit at the Monica Film Center. Her stunning images draw from Purcell’s interest in natural history collections. Works like “Peter’s Teeth” from the book Finders, Keepers and “Snowy Egret” from Egg & Nest explore the essence of organic material, telling its story through its decay.

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The often morbid nature of Purcell’s subject matter is pair by the striking beauty of her images. This duality with in her work is encapsulating to view in person.

As a pioneer of the lost and forgotten, she breathes new life into objects, immortalizing their history and transcending their place in time.

Purcell has a way of elevating the mundane into the extraordinary. Her unique compositions and tone – echo master still life painters of 1600’s Northern Europe such as Jan Fyt and Pieter Claesz, taking photography to a level of fine art that is rarely experienced.
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The New York Times recently stated that Purcell is “our greatest living 17th century photographer.” After examining her ever-growing oeuvre, one might be tempted to make the case for the 21st century as well.

Take this wonderful opportunity to see the film at the Monica Film Center and view her art in person. They’re not to be missed!

   – Lili Abdel-Ghany, Curator

Art in the Arthouse Presents DAVID BUCKINGHAM: NOBODY LIKES A SMARTASS at the Monica Film Center

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I Don’t Roll On Shabbos | cut and welded found metal

Laemmle’s Art in the Arthouse is delighted to present DAVID BUCKINGHAM: NOBODY LIKES A SMARTASS, a solo exhibit curated by KATE STERN of  the renowned Frostig Collection.

Buckingham is a unique craftsman. Harnessing found metals to produce dynamic assemblages, he breaks the mold of contemporary art practices.

The exhibition takes place Aug. 30 to Nov. 30, 2016 and inhabits both floors of Laemmle’s stunning new venue, the Monica Film Center.

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About the Exhibit:

After a successful career as an advertising writer, David Buckingham launched his artistic journey in his 40s. His unconventional art education began with a “5-minute” welding lesson from artist Ray “Cowboy” Kelly of the Rivington School, a 1980s movement remembered by Buckingham as “a bunch of anarchist welders and poets and performance artists,” in New York’s East Village.

A neo-pop artist, Buckingham roams windblown alleys, abandoned factories, dodgy neighborhoods, gritty industrial areas, and the low deserts of Southern CA in search of the cast off and forgotten – detritus such as tractor parts, old signage, car doors, gas cans, etc. It’s with this found collection of metal that he carves, bends, bolts and welds his assemblages, breathing new life into the discarded forms. All colors are original as discovered; as he is fond of saying, “Buckingham is no painter!”

For his Art in the Arthouse show, NOBODY LIKES A SMARTASS, Buckingham aptly drew from his passion for cinema and dialogue. Quotes from iconic films like The Big Lebowski – “I don’t roll on Shabbos” and Blazing Saddles – “Where the white women at?” along with classic sound effects like “THWIP!” from Spidermen, feel right at home on the walls of the movie theater. Like David, the work is left of center or slightly askew, always playful and often raunchy.

Buckingham has exhibited extensively in the U.S. and abroad, including the California’s Riverside Art Museum and the Lancaster Museum of Art and History. His sculptures have been installed as public artworks in West Hollywood and Newport Beach. His work has been featured in an international advertising campaign for Wrangler Jeans and is purchased and commissioned by private collectors around the world.

– Kate Stern, Curator

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Exhibit Info:

DAVID BUCKINGHAM: NOBODY LIKES A SMARTASS
August 30 – November 30, 2016
Laemmle’s Monica Film Center (info)
1332 2nd Street, S.M. CA 90401

NOTE:
– Exhibit is located on both floors
– No movie ticket required!

CONTACT:

For all inquiries, please contact the curator, Kate Stern at katestern@me.com or 310-828-6969.

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Assassin of Youth | cut & welded found metal

 

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THWIP! | cut and welded found metal

 

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Color Study #88 | cut & welded found metal

Enjoy a Car-Free Day Exploring the Gold Line from South Pasadena to Azusa at 626 GOLDEN STREETS on June 26th

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626-logoExplore the San Gabriel Valley and celebrate the opening of the Foothill Gold Line extension at 626 Golden Streets, a car-free event on Sunday, June 26th from 8am to 2pm!

Modeled after other “open streets” programs like CicLAvia, 626 Golden Streets will temporarily open stretches of roadway from South Pasadena to Azusa for people to walk, jog, skate, bike, and more.

Communities participating include South Pasadena, San Marino, Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale, and Azusa. Speaking of Azusa, head one block south of Azusa Downtown Station and you’ll find the future home of a Laemmle theater in Azusa! It’s the lot at the southeast corner of East Foothill Boulevard and North Azusa Avenue.

Seek out Activity Hubs along the 18+ mile route for free fitness classes (Zumba, yoga), activity booths, live music, food trucks, professional chalk artists, drum circles, cyclocross, Gabe the Sasquatch, and more!

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Seven Tips for Enjoying 626 Golden Streets:

  1. Golden Streets is a FREE event! But bring at least a few dollars to patronize local businesses, sample some of the SGV’s food, drink, and ride the Foothill Gold Line.
  2. YOU get to decide where you start and finish.
  3. All forms of non-motorized transportation are permitted.
  4. Golden Streets is NOT a race. There are no finisher medals or awards. Only smiles and miles of open streets.
  5. Share the road. Please exercise caution so everyone can have a safe, enjoyable day.
  6. Gold Line Station Activity Hubs will remain open until at least 3pm (South Pasadena hub to 4pm).
  7. Don’t forget to stop, enjoy, and take a picture! Share your best snapshots on social media with the hashtag #626GoldenStreets for a chance to win special one-time-only Golden Streets swag!

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For more information, visit: http://www.626goldenstreets.com!

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Laemmle’s Art in the Arthouse Presents “Archiving Hesse” at the Monica Film Center

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Recently, there’s been a lot of commotion surrounding the seminal artist EVA HESSE, including a recent exhibit at the Whitney, a current show in DTLA at Hauser Wirth & Schimmel, and of course, the opening of the film EVA HESSE at four of our venues. Directed by Marcie Begleiter and produced by Karen Shapiro, the documentary is the first feature-length examination of Hesse’s life and work.

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Barbara Brown, photographer

In addition to all this, our fine arts program, Art in the Arthouse, has jumped into the fray with ARCHIVING HESSE an exhibit at the Monica that includes photography featured in the film.  It showcases the work of photographer and raconteur, BARBARA BROWN, who, from 1962-1965, chronicled Hesse and the other luminaries that made up the Canal St. scene of New York’s Lower Eastside.

Unfortunately, most of Brown’s negatives were destroyed in a bizarre train fire and eternally lost. But we are pleased to present some surviving photos that capture the artist in particularly revealing moments. Interwoven are two images from Hesse’s 1968 solo exhibition at the Fishbach Gallery taken by NORMAN GOLDMAN.

The Archiving Hesse photo exhibit opens this Thurs. night at the Monica Film Center (where the documentary will be showing) and can be enjoyed through June.

About Hesse:

In 1938, at three years old, EVA HESSE was put on the kindertransport to escape Nazi Germany. She arrived in New York to reunite with her family, but seven years later lost her mother to suicide.

Hesse went on to study art and design at Yale University.  As an artist, she had a unique ability to alchemize her personal tragedies into searing and poetic works. Based mainly in New York, Hesse and her husband Tom Doyle briefly relocated their studio to Kettwig Germany where she transitioned from painter to sculptor.

“Stop [thinking] and just do!”  This strong note circa 1965 from her mentor Sol LeWitt opened Hesse up to an artistic stream of sculptures, paintings, drawings, and happenings. She incorporated industrial materials such as cord, wire, yarn, and latex to create magnificent walls sculptures that commanded attention. Hesse soon became a major figure in the post AbEx landscape movement.

Tragically, Hesse died of brain cancer at age 34. She lives on in her works, which are displayed in museums worldwide,

REDCAT International Children’s Film Festival 2016

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The 11th annual REDCAT International Children’s Film Festival features three weekends of exhilarating short-film programs to mesmerize moviegoers of all ages. Magical, adventurous works made by acclaimed filmmakers and up-and-coming auteurs showcase work from around the globe—including Colombia, France, Russia, Taiwan, Argentina, Korea, Iran, and Mexico— to inspire the whole family. Festival highlights include the latest in both live action and animated shorts.

Saturday, April 23
12:00 pm     Explore Galore
1:30pm        Magic Potion
3:00 pm       Adventurama

Sunday, April 24
12:00 pm     Cuddly Critters
1:30 pm       Imagine That
3:00 pm       Adventurama

Saturday, April 30
12:00 pm     Cuddly Critters
1:30 pm       Magic Potion
3:00 pm       Where the Giants Tread

Sunday, May 1
12:00 pm     Explore Galore
1:30pm        Imagine That
3:00 pm       Show Me a Story

Saturday, May 7
12:00 pm     Cuddly Critters
1:30pm        Imagine That
3:00 pm       Explore Galore

Help make the 2016 REDCAT International Children’s Film Festival possible by joining the RICFF Producers Circle. 

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Curated by Elizabeth Shepherd