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ART IN THE ARTHOUSE presents: DANCING WITH COLORS in Pasadena

March 14, 2019 by Sheryl Myerson Leave a Comment

Swing, samba or shimmy on over to Art in the Arthouse’s newest exhibit in Pasadena, DANCING WITH COLORS. This bold festival of color from artists Nancy R. Wise and Raymond Logan runs till June, 2019. Sales benefit the Laemmle Foundation and its support of humanitarian and environmental causes in the Los Angeles region.

About the Exhibit
NANCY R. WISE: Oil painter Nancy R. Wise is enchanted by color. She views her art as daily reality transformed by color and texture, woven on the loom of light. She states, “I love the vibrancy of bright colors, thick impasto-like textures against thin washes and strong forms to communicate an experience of a subject’s essence. It is my way to abstract and transform our ordinary experiences and reawaken life’s vibrant aesthetic.”

RAYMOND LOGAN: Don’t call Raymond Logan a “realistic artist.” While his work depicts real-life subject matter, it is grounded in abstraction and intuition. His true goal is to create a dialogue with you, the viewer, where a mutual discovery and re-imagining of “the self” can take place. Logan uses deft strokes of thick paint in surprising colors extrapolated from what he sees in the object – enhanced by how he wants those colors expressed. Get close up and you’ll find that his representational art becomes fully abstract.

Logan and Wise are connected through their mutual love of color and the ways they apply that color to their artwork. Logan spares nothing as he lavishly slaps thick globs of paint onto the canvas, while Wise contrasts impasto with thinner areas to create dynamic separation. From the first moment I saw their vibrant artwork, I knew their pieces would dance well together.

– Tish Laemmle, curator

ART IN THE ARTHOUSE presents: Francisco Alvarado: Underpinnings of a Digital Landscape

January 25, 2019 by Sheryl Myerson

Check out our brand spanking new art show in Santa Monica! Laemmle’s Art in the Arthouse proudly presents Francisco Alvarado: Underpinnings of a Digital Landscape. The show will run at the Monica Film Center till May, 2019. Sales benefit the Laemmle Foundation and its support of humanitarian and environmental causes in Los Angeles.

About the Exhibit
Ecuadorian artist FRANCISCO ALVARADO creates landscapes, foliage and gardens of flat color cut-outs. Raised near fields of beautiful South American farmland, butted against cooled lava pits, the artist recalls his childhood with paint and renders them with joy and animated vision. Alvarado alchemizes both his achievements and his losses through imagery, setting them in a visual forest of filled with intrigue and mystery. His works were painted, photographed, digitized, and reworked, creating fluid landscapes that alternate between internal and external compositions.

Alvarado moved to California in 1969 and began to follow the artwork of PETER MAX. The artist was also greatly influenced by his Ecuadorian roots, his service in the military, the artistry of Chilean painter ROBERTO MATTA and the intricate articulations of Viennese artist FRIEDENSREICH HUNDERTWASSER. Inspired by the emergence of Apple Computers, Alvarado enrolled at Long Beach State to study engineering. He threw himself into a brave new world of coding and digital imaging, ultimately leading to artistic experimentation with mixed media and a process aided by technology. The artist currently lives and works in Monrovia, California.

– Joshua Elias, CURATOR

ART IN THE ARTHOUSE presents: HILL & STUMP at the Royal

November 29, 2018 by Sheryl Myerson

ART IN THE ARTHOUSE happily welcomes back artists DAPHNE HILL and ANNA STUMP, this time to the Royal for a festival of color just in time for the holidays. Swing by our gallery for a look at their newest work. The exhibit runs through February, 2019.

About the exhibit

Successful collaboration in the world of painting is a rare phenomenon. The duo of HILL and STUMP, known for their breathtaking floral compositions, have nourished a unique and productive partnership. In a kind of creative symbiosis, they appear to “finish each other’s sentences,” layering each piece and editing each other to create something entirely new. Stump comments, “Our process is almost egoless because we can’t, as individual artists, get attached to anything we do. Hill confirms, “We never call a piece finished unless we’re both happy with it.”

Each application of paint is separated from the next by a layer of clear resin, lending depth and brilliance to the compositions. Their work includes nods to Rococo foliage, gilt decoration, Japanese motifs, and Impressionism. Artists such as JAKUCHU, FRAGONARD and SARGENT, as well as the light and spectacle of the Southern California landscape serve as inspiration.

In this exhibit, curated for Art in the Arthouse by Tish Laemmle, the magic of the flower is utilized as a vehicle for light and form to express itself. Nothing is overlooked. Whether realized or abstracted, each individual mum, magnolia, or cactus blossom is rendered until it glows. The artists work together in their studio in San Diego and also maintain a space in the El Sereno neighborhood of Los Angeles. Hill has recently become bicoastal, returning to her childhood home of Tennessee while Stump has become involved in the blooming High Desert community. Both teach art in college and at a men’s maximum security prison.
– Tish Laemmle, curator

Dyan Cannon In Person for 45th Anniversary of THE LAST OF SHEILA on November 28 in West LA

November 14, 2018 by Stephen Farber

Following our sold-out screening of Death on the Nile, Laemmle Theatres and the Anniversary Classics Series present another treat for mystery lovers. THE LAST OF SHEILA is a modern-day whodunit, and according to Newsweek, “the story moves through intellectual gymnastics reminiscent of the best of Agatha Christie.” The scintillating screenplay represents the only script ever written by celebrated composer Stephen Sondheim, which he co-authored with actor Anthony Perkins.

Sondheim, Perkins, and director Herbert Ross were all fans of murder mystery games, and they channeled their enthusiasm into this intricate, suspenseful thriller, which also allowed them to poke fun at a whole gallery of Hollywood personalities. As Alan Howard wrote in The Hollywood Reporter, “The ingeniously constructed screenplay by Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins is genuinely witty, gossipy and often downright malicious.”

The story begins with the death of Sheila, a gossip columnist who knew all the carefully guarded secrets of the stars and filmmakers in Tinseltown. She is run down in a hit-and-run accident, and the driver speeds away. A year later her husband, a wealthy and sadistic producer, invites their friends to a holiday on his yacht in the south of France. There he intends to have them join him in a series of mystery games, and he also plans to unmask one of them as the killer of his wife. But the games do not go exactly as planned, and soon a few more bodies begin to pile up.

Leonard Maltin called the elegantly photographed film a “super murder-puzzler about jet-set gamester who devises what turns into a deadly game of whodunit.” Ross assembled an all-star cast to play the conniving jet-setters: James Coburn as the producer, James Mason as a director fallen on hard times, Richard Benjamin as a struggling screenwriter, Joan Hackett as his supportive wife, Dyan Cannon as a bitchy Hollywood agent, Raquel Welch as a neurotic star, and Ian McShane as her manager husband.

Co-star Dyan Cannon received Oscar nominations for her performances in Paul Mazursky’s Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice and Warren Beatty’s Heaven Can Wait. She also earned a nomination for a short film she directed, Number One. Her other films include Such Good Friends, The Anderson Tapes, Revenge of the Pink Panther, Honeysuckle Rose, Deathtrap, Author! Author!, The End of Innocence (which she also wrote and directed), and Boynton Beach Club.

Writing of her performance in The Last of Sheila, The New York Times’ Vincent Canby declared, “Most colorful is Dyan Cannon, who plays the talent agent for all that the wisecracks are worth… she gives a very good, very comic performance. The others are also good, especially Richard Benjamin and Joan Hackett and James Mason… but the essential bitchery that makes the film work is provided by Miss Cannon and by all of the Sondheim-Perkins inside references.” The Hollywood Reporter agreed: “Dyan Cannon gives the performance of her career as a demonic Hollywood agent.”

THE LAST OF SHEILA with Dyan Cannon in person screens at 7pm on Wednesday, November 28th at the Royal Theater in West Los Angeles. Click here to purchase tickets.

Format: DVD

Two Horror Classics from the Universal Studio Vaults on Tuesday, October 30 in Pasadena, NoHo, and West LA

October 25, 2018 by Michael McClellan

Laemmle Theatres and the Anniversary Classics Series present a double feature of classic Universal studios’ horror films on the eve of Halloween, October 30, in our popular Twofer Tuesday (two films for the price of one) program. We will show a “double treat” of the 85th anniversary of THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933) paired with the 70th anniversary of the horror-comedy ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948).

THE INVISIBLE MAN was a key entry in the cycle of terror films from Universal studios in the early 1930s that helped secure its reputation as the “house of horror” in the early sound era. Produced by Carl Laemmle Jr., son of the studio founder, the film stars Claude Rains in his American screen debut and Gloria Stuart, and was based on the H. G. Wells’ novel, adapted for the screen by R. C. Sheriff (‘Goodbye, Mr. Chips,’ ‘The Four Feathers,’ ‘Odd Man Out’). Universal called on James Whale, the acclaimed director of ‘Frankenstein’ and ‘The Old Dark House’ (with ‘The Bride of Frankenstein’ still waiting in the wings in the genre), to helm the project.

Rains portrays Dr. Jack Griffin, a chemist whose experiments with an obscure drug go awry, rendering him invisible and murderously insane. Rains played the title character mostly as a disembodied voice, often shown swathed in bandages, appearing only briefly on screen. He would later become one of the most recognizable of British actors working in Hollywood, garnering four Oscar nominations (‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,’ ‘Casablanca,’ ‘Mr. Skeffington,’ ‘Notorious’) and dozens of notable performances in his illustrious career.

Leading lady Gloria Stuart would have to wait sixty-four years before she capped her career with an Oscar nod for ‘Titanic’ in 1997. THE INVISIBLE MAN was a major hit at the box office, and was named one of the year’s ten best by The New York Times, whose critic at the time wrote,“The story makes such superb cinematic material that one wonders why Hollywood did not film it sooner…it is a remarkable achievement.” In 2008 the Library of Congress added it to the National Film Registry.

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, as noted by TV Guide, is a “hilarious spoof of the Universal horror films of the 1930s and early 40s.” Bud Abbott and Lou Costello star as railway freight handlers who unwittingly deliver the “undead” bodies of Dracula (Bela Lugosi) and Frankenstein’s Monster (Glenn Strange) to a wax museum, where they are revived. Lon Chaney Jr. co-stars, recreating his role as the Wolf Man, who tries to aid the comic duo. Lugosi donned Dracula’s cape in a featured role for the second and final time on the screen. The Invisible Man also makes a cameo appearance, this time with the voice of Vincent Price.

The film, directed by Charles Barton from a screenplay by Robert Lees, Frederic Rinaldo, and John Grant, was such a huge hit that it propelled Abbott and Costello onto the Top Ten Box Office Stars Poll the following year, where they would be ranked for four consecutive years. Its success also spawned a series of seven films in which the duo would “meet” more of the monsters from the Universal vaults. The film is ranked 56th on the AFI’s list of the Funniest Movies, and was added to the National Film Registry in 2001.

The Halloween Eve Twofer Tuesday double bill of THE INVISIBLE MAN and ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN plays at three Laemmle locations: Royal, NoHo and Pasadena Playhouse 7 on October 30.

ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN shows at 4:40 PM and 8:10 PM. THE INVISIBLE MAN shows at 6:30 PM and 9:55.

Click here to get tickets for the 4:40 PM or 8:10 PM ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN with the 6:30 PM or 9:55 THE INVISIBLE MAN included.

Click here to get tickets for the 6:30 PM THE INVISIBLE MAN with the 8:10 PM ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN included.

ART IN THE ARTHOUSE presents: SCREENINGS in NoHo October 17

September 30, 2018 by Sheryl Myerson

Artist Reception
Laemmle NoHo 7
Wednesday, October 17, 7-9 pm

RSVP here
This is a free event

Laemmle’s Art in the Arthouse presents SCREENINGS, a new art show in Noho based on ideas of scale, reproduction, and projection. This special exhibit features a slideshow on the big screen, artist talks and the wine, cheese, and conversation Art in the Arthouse is known for. Sales benefit the Laemmle Foundation and its support of humanitarian and environmental causes in Los Angeles.

The artists are: Brody Albert, Stephen Aldahl, Theodora Allen, Allen Brewer, Andy Brown, Jason Burgess, Pablo Carrillo, Milano Chow, Michael Dopp, Andy Faulkner, Kim Garcia, Rochele Gomez, Dustin Hodges, Daniel Ingroff, Max Karnig, Nick Lowe, Nancy Lupo, Nevine Mahmoud, Maura Murnane, Jean Nagai, Ben Wolf Noam, Nick Perr, Paul Pescador, Pam Posey, Heather Rasmussen, Cally Robertson, Georgia Sands, Asha Schechter, Katie Shapiro, Dylan Sharp, Orion Shepherd, Augustus Thompson, Tristan Unrau, Jessica Williams, Nate Wolf, and Bruce Yonemoto.

About the Exhibit
Screenings started with a very simple idea; make an artwork in the shape of a movie screen. In order to produce an exhibition to include a range of voices, moods, and tones, we engaged a group of artists from diverse practices and offered them a uniform, structured point of departure: the widescreen format. We thought it would be fantastic to see these artworks displayed on the big screen. For the duration of screenings, the artworks are projected, silently, as part of Laemmle’s pre-show trailers. This creates a two-part viewing experience; the original artwork and its scaled-up reproduction.

The prompt to “make an artwork in the shape of a movie screen” naturally inspires thoughts about the history and context of cinema. The movie screen is probably the most iconic rectangle of all time (maybe only recently surpassed by the smartphone). It’s compelling to see how different visual artists compose in this scenic format. Some artists in Screenings, such as Bruce Yonemoto and Paul Pescador, work with film/video as a primary medium. Others have certainly been influenced by films in their aesthetic development. Our hope is that a moviegoer who comes to a Laemmle Theatre to see a film discovers not only the artworks on display but also a meditation on composition that enhances their cinematic experience.

– Conor Thompson, CURATOR

Artist Reception
Laemmle Noho 7
Wednesday, October 17, 7-9pm
Refreshments will be provided

ART IN THE ARTHOUSE presents: The Claremont Art Show 2018 September 30

September 13, 2018 by Sheryl Myerson

Artist Reception
Laemmle Claremont 5
450 West 2nd Street
Sunday, September 30, 11am-1pm

RSVP here
This is a free event!

Laemmle’s Art in the Arthouse presents THE CLAREMONT ART SHOW 2018! Please join us as we celebrate local artists in an intimate theatre setting. Produced by master impresario Lynn Chang, our special event features a slideshow on the big screen, artist talks, and refreshments. Meet the artists and stay for the bagels, pastries, coffee and conversation Art in the Arthouse is known for. Sales benefit the Laemmle Foundation and its support of humanitarian and environmental causes in Los Angeles.

About the Exhibit
POLARITIES – Art in the Arthouse’s second annual community show in Claremont reflects polarities of artistic vision within a shared space of magnetic interaction. The artworks all create pointed juxtapositions, grounded and fantasy-based in their nature. Viewers encounter a forest opening its door and a dancer engaging his spirit. They discover a space absent of subject and a subject absent of anything under the floor of the sky. An ancient statue of a baby rhinoceros is stoically reflected in dancing lights that envision a new America. A parrot is caged while poppies roam free. Each artist within this collective unveils an unintentional interconnection with each other.

Individual works, tone, and vibration were created through a clear, positive manipulation of media. Sixteen unique and talented people have fused their personal vision, artistry, and craftsmanship to hone a professional oeuvre of artworks. The range of media includes photography, digital sculpture, painting, and mixed media, each inviting us to consider their message.

– Joshua Elias, CURATOR

ART IN THE ARTHOUSE presents: ISABELLA KELLY-RAMIREZ: WHO IS SHE? in Santa Monica

August 10, 2018 by Sheryl Myerson

Laemmle’s Art in the Arthouse presents ISABELLA KELLY-RAMIREZ: WHO IS SHE? Explore the bold, dynamic works of Kelly-Ramirez on Wednesday, September 5 in our intimate theatre setting. Our special event features a slideshow on the big screen, artist talk, and refreshments. Meet Isabella and stay for the wine, cheese, and conversation Art in the Arthouse is known for. A portion of the sales benefit the Laemmle Foundation and its support of humanitarian and environmental causes in Los Angeles.

About the Exhibit

Isabella Kelly-Ramirez creates paintings and collages that introduce a host of fascinating females. Modern-day saints and superheroes, champions of the avant-garde, and fashionable figures to be reckoned with; these are icons of a new mythology from the imagination of the artist. Her arresting collages are playful acts of defiance. Kelly-Ramirez coopts images from fashion and art magazines, repurposing them to create surreal urban legends and ironic emblems of commercialism.

The works address the unattainable standards of beauty in fashion and life by reconstituting mainstream imagery into something quirkier and more humane. Kelly-Ramirez’s visual world continues in the striking paintings framed in soft sculpture. Bright, colorful portraits of humanoid figures appear in whimsical, unearthly settings. Somehow this creative, alternative place is more human, more generous, and more authentic than our curated “reality.”

Isabella Kelly-Ramirez lives and works in Los Angeles. Born in Santa Barbara, she has been involved in the art and theatre communities since she was a child. She received her B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2008 and works primarily in painting, collage, soft sculpture, and assemblage—with a pop surrealist flair.

– Stacey Ravel Abarbanel, Curator