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Sister Corita was a highly influential and inspirational art teacher and nun who created controversial pop art in Los Angeles during the 60’s. Earlier this year I edited a short film directed by Aaron Rose with a score by Money Mark to commemorate what would have been Corita’s 90th birthday. Today the art of Sister Corita will be on display and for sale at Landis Gifts & Stationery in Hollywood’s Larchmont Village. A percentage of sales all day will benefit the Corita Art Center.

Here’s an excerpt of the “ABC” song from our short film Become a Microscope-90 Statements on Sister Corita (music by Money Mark and Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond. Title design by Keith Scharwath. Motion graphics by Max Erdenberger, Alex Dervin, and Miguel Bautista. Produced by Jon Barlow and Arlo Rosner):

ABC’s from Central Office on Vimeo.

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Films about an inspirational pop art nun (including ours), a Karaoke dance party, Muppets and more Muppets, and of course art openings highlight this weekends highlights.

• Pocket wallet pioneers Poketo take over Royal/T’s this summer with their storefront pop-up shop. Tonight they transform the joint into a Karaoke Dance Party with our fun Fluxer friends Jonathan and Meg Wells on an esteemed panel of judges.

• The Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theater on Fairfax has Muppets on the mind once again as they bring back last year’s sold out showings of Jim Henson’s mind-blowing collection of shorts, crazy commercials, and other rarities including the not-be-to-be-missed Oscar winning Time Piece. Bonus: midnight screening of Henson’s feature film The Dark Crystal!

• With the Lotus Festival on hiatus this year the Echo Park Community Fest has come in to save the day, or weekend rather. Fun for all with carnival attractions, International foods, and the music of the lovely LA Ladies Choir with the Chili Pepper’s Flea (responsible for some songs from our Sister Corita film-more on that below)

• Giant Robot offers up prints to take home when the group show of 50 plus artists titled Printed Matter opens at GR2 on Sawtelle Saturday night. Featuring Bigfoot, Buff Monster, La Merde, Saelee Oh, Deth P. Sun, Albert Reyes, Andrew Jeffrey Wright and many more. Preview here.

• Constantly bringing the goods with their carefully curated shows, the Constant Gallery opens Desert Sexy “a survey of artists originating from and inspired by California’s low desert scene. Along with work by Logan/The Date Farmers, Anthony Lepore, and Peter Sutherland, we’ll be having an opening night musical performance by stoner rock progenitors Yawning Man (pre-Kyuss).” Check the preview here.

• Girls go wild as the Honor Fraser Gallery opens Bitch is the New Black, an all women art show featuring “fourteen Los Angeles-based women who are all emerging or established artists from roughly the same generation and are bright lights on the local scene.”

• Another Muppety evet at the Silent Movie Theater Saturday this time screening a matinee of Muppet Music Moments which, as you may have guessed, is a collection of musical performances from The Muppet Show.

• And finally end your weekend inspired as our short film (Become a Microscope: 90 Statements on Sister Corita) about the life and art of Sister Corita Kent will be screening at the Silent Movie Theater Sunday night alongside two other films by Corita’s friends, Mary’s Day (1964) by Baylis Glascock, and Survival With Style (1966) by Cal Bernstein, Alex Singer and Haskell Wexler. Both of these rare films will be screened from their original 16mm prints, and Mary’s Day will feature a live score by special musical guests!

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Sorry for the late post today, I was a bit busy rejoining the human race again. The last few days have just about been the hardest I’ve ever pushed myself finishing a film, and I’d def do it all over again. Working with the dedicated members of our Corita film crew in finishing the edit, finalizing the animations, listening to the sound mix, coloring the film, and conforming the entire thing to be ready for last night’s Flux screening tallied me a new personal work record: work-90 hours, sleep-6, from Sunday up until the show on Wednesday. But with a drive to finish fueled by the work of Sister Corita and with the payoff of how well our film was received, I have to say it was all so worth it. Big thanks to Jonathan and Meg Wells for organizing another fun Flux screening and to all who came out and checked out our film, Become a Microscope-90 Statements on Sister Corita! Many more screenings to come soon!

On top of our film showing alongside a multitude of amazing music videos and short films, the LA Ladies Choir headed by Becky Stark performed as well. The lovelies were captivating with their two songs in this their second performance.

The Ladies Choir pt. 1 from chumpchampion on Vimeo.

The Ladies Choir pt. 2 from chumpchampion on Vimeo.

And here’s another film that screened last night, a supremely crafted short directed by Ace Norton and his new ’stache that left me sonically blown away:

Soundscapes - by Ace Norton from IE HAGY on Vimeo.

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Whoa…another sleepless day/night/day as we put the finishing touches on our film, Become A Microscope-90 Statments on Sister Corita. Making it’s Los Angeles premiere at the Hammer Museum as part of Flux’s first show of the year, the day has finally come to let friend, family, and strangers take a look at just what has been keeping us all so busy and inspired (also special encore musical performance by Becky Stark and the Ladies Choir!)

So tonight, I hope you all…

and…

as our film will leave your eyes, ears, and brains…

with…

lenny

Become A Microscope - 90 Statements on Sister Corita

A film by Aaron Rose

Produced by Jon Barlow, Edited by Lenny Mesina, Original Score by Money Mark and Becky Stark.

Flux Screening Series
February 25, 2008
8:00 pm screening, 10:00 pm after-party

Hammer Museum
Billy Wilder Theater
10899 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
310.443.7000

And don’t forget to RSVP!

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Clear your schedule for this Wednesday cause the year’s first Flux Screening Series at the Hammer is coming and our Sister Corita film will be making it’s Los Angeles premiere! If you missed the CSUN screening and art opening (a must see!), this is your chance to check out what we’ve been giving our all to. Also part of 2009’s inaugral program will be two new music video from the N.A.S.A. crew, this time featuring Kanye West, Santogold, Lykee Li, Sizzla, Amanda Blank, with art by The Date Farmers, directed by Logan and Three Legged Legs. The short film project PSST! 3 and a new short by homey Ace Norton will also be included in the program.

Make sure to RSVP and arrive early as the two theaters are always over flowing and people are unfortunately turned away once filled. But if you can’t get in, there’s always the courtyard reception primed for drinks, djs, and drinks.

Become A Microscope
90 Statements on Sister Corita

A Film by Aaron Rose

Produced by Jon Barlow, Edited by Lenny Mesina, Original Score by Money Mark and Becky Stark.

Synopsis:

Sister Corita (1918-1986) was a teacher, political activist and possibly one of the most innovative and unusual pop artists of the 1960’s. She was also a Catholic nun. Become A Microscope is a 20-minute art/documentary film celebrating the life, work, and teachings of this incredible artist. The film was shot on location on the campus of Immaculate Heart in Los Angeles, the same place where most of the film’s story happened. It serves as a living, breathing document of the inspiration she spread to so many people throughout her life…and as the title suggests, the importance of looking at the world “small pieces at a time”. Through the use of interviews with those who knew her, we tell Corita’s story in an abstract way. Using archival images from the Corita archive along with visual effects created specifically for the project by some of the most talented animators working today, we have created a colorful visual montage. The film reveals itself as a living, moving, graphic and musical artwork.

Become A Microscope is produced by Blacklake Productions, in conjunction with The Directors Bureau, with special cooperation from The Corita Art Center and the Art/Film Departments of Cal State University Northridge.

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Funny, Valentine’s Day actually means something this year.

“Passion for the Possible” The Work of Sister Corita

Opening reception

Saturday, February 14th, 2009 from 1-4pm
(Exhibition runs through April 4, 2009)

With D.I.Y. silk-screen gift stations and musical performance by the Ladies choir with special guests @ 3pm

Corita Kent was one of America’s most celebrated serigraph artists, creating works that won her international acclaim from the 1950s until her death in 1986. As art professor at Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles, her hallmark mixture of captivating images and provocative texts delivered messages of hope and joy to a troubled world.

Passion For The Possible is a retrospective exhibition of Corita’s works from the 1950’s to the 1980’s. It will be presented in a visually stunning installation comprised of original serigraphs, sculpture, photography, wall murals and ephemera related to her life and career.

A series of creative workshops based on Corita’s teachings will be held on selected Saturdays for the duration of the exhibit.

This exhibition is guest curated by Aaron Rose (Beautiful Losers) and is co-organized by the Corita Art Center in Los Angeles (www.corita.org), home of the largest collection of Corita’s serigraphs in the world.

Film screenings

Friday, February 13th, 2009 starting at 8pm

We Have No Art (26min)
filmed in 1967 at the Immaculate Heart College, Los Angeles
A Film by Baylis Glascock

Mary’s Day 1964 (12min)
filmed in 1964 at the Immaculate Heart College, Los Angeles
A Film by Baylis Glascock

BECOME A MICROSCOPE (22min)
90 Statements on Sister Corita
A Film by Aaron Rose

Cal State Northridge Art Gallery
18111 Nordhoff St.
Northridge, CA 91330

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So as we’re finishing up the Sister Corita film for Friday’s premiere, wouldn’t you know it but other people have caught the same Corita fever we’ve got. Ralph Caplan, who was a friend of Sister Corita in the 60’s and AIGA senior writer, just last week wrote this nice article about his introduction to Corita and their subsequent meetings in New York and Los Angles. A quick read. (Thanks to Gelatobabyhead!)

And since I haven’t had much time for anything else except finishing the film (and not sleeping), I just now found out who won what Grammy this past Sunday. And although the Grammys may not be as relevant as they used to be, I was happy to hear that Adele (whose “Chasing Pavements” music video was the lone video I edited last year) won 2 Grammys as a virtual unknown artist. I finished the cut, which was directed by the talented Matt Cullen of Motion Theory, almost exactly a year ago today when pretty much the entire world-myself included-knew nothing about this young English soul singer. Needless to say, the newly minted “Best New Artist” and “Best Female Pop Performer” has come a long way since then. Check Adele chasing pavements here:

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I’m just gonna flat out go for it and keep everything on the site this week related to Sister Corita, the art show and opening, and of course our film screening. So here’s an interview with A. Rose in Germany last year as he curated the “Passion for the Possible” show at Berlin’s Circle Culture Gallery. (FYI: I promise you that this weekend’s Valentine’s Day opening at CSUN will be a thousand times grander than anything you see in this video!)

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“To achieve great things, two things are needed. A plan and not quite enough time.”

-Leonard Bernstein

We’re really putting that quote to test as our short film on Corita Kent fittingly premieres this Friday the 13th as part of “Passion for the Possible: The Work of Sister Corita”, the unbelievable exhibit of her art. Pulling the vampire editing shifts since the beginning of the year at Cutters with Aaron Rose and Money Mark have made for many a late night and way too many early mornings, like today. But in doing so, we just might of made a film that Corita herself would be proud of. Please read on for the details:

Come spend this Valentine’s Day weekend with your favorite radical pop art nun from the 60’s, Corita Kent. The retrospective art show, “Passion For the Possible”, opens this Saturday afternoon from 1-4pm at the CSUN Art Gallery and is curated by Aaron Rose with cooperation from the Corita Art Center. And not only will you see an amazing collection of Corita’s art, but you’ll also be able to hand-silkscreen your own Valentine’s presents while being serenaded by an all ladies choir featuring some very special guests conducted by Lavendar Diamond’s Becky Stark with musical arrangements by Flea. All with enough time to spare for your Valentine’s evening plans. And in addition to this special show and our film’s premiere, 2 other short films on Sister Corita which were expertly made by Baylis Glascock during the 60’s will also be screening.

“Passion for the Possible” The Work of Sister Corita”

Opening reception

Saturday, February 14th, 2009 from 1-4pm

Film screenings

Friday, February 13th, 2009 starting at 8pm

Cal State Northridge Art Gallery
18111 Nordhoff St.
Northridge, CA 91330

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