Center for Visual Music

08/29/2026

We’re pleased to loan Mary Ellen Bute’s Rhythm in Light to this Zurich exhibition opening Sept 2.

08/11/2026

Huge salute to George Lucas and others at the museum, for including visual music and experimental animation in the new (Los Angeles) in this theatre. Daily looped film programs, all day. Among the films CVM has loaned are Oskar Fischinger’s Composition in Blue and Mary Ellen Bute’s Rhythm in Light, stills below. Opening September 22.

Caption: The Slavko Vorkapich Theater at Lucas Museum of Narrative Arts has 299 seats and will screen experimental film (Lou Caltabiano). Photo from Lucas Museum. From LA Times article “Two theaters, nonstop screenings: Inside the Lucas Museum’s film programming plans,” July 23.

08/05/2026

10 years ago today!

08/03/2026

We’re pleased to loan Mary Ellen Bute’s Rhythm in Light to two museum exhibitions this fall, in Zurich and Los Angeles. In LA, this new museum will also screen Tarantella, looped, for months. Details soon.

07/31/2026

From a research project: pages from distributor Pyramid Films’ catalogs showing some of the Jordan Belson films available for rental or purchase through them - Allures, Chakra, Cosmos, Light, Meditation, Momentum, Phenomena, Re-entry, Samadhi, World. Music of the Spheres was soon added. Left, from 1977 catalog. Previously other distributors handled the films, starting in 1952 with Mandala, Caravan, Bopscotch and more. The early films actually had several distributors. Our Belson filmography (finalized with Jordan) includes some info on the distribution, see our Belson research site. We’ll continue to add more of the early catalog pages.

07/27/2026

A salute to George Lucas for including visual music and experimental animation.

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art announced its inaugural film programs to run nonstop throughout the day in two dedicated theaters.

07/08/2026

Jordan Belson, Quartet, c. 1983, silent excerpt. One of the rare films and tests we're viewing in our current Visual Music seminar, "Jordan Belson, Vortex Concerts and Origins of Expanded Cinema." This week we're looking at the final Vortex Concerts, reels Jordan prepared for Vortex 5, and discussing the later Vortex Presents. Quartet is in an upcoming session, this is a preview.

CVM worked with Belson for years restoring and distributing his films, and producing projects for him including his DVD and final film. Keefer also produced other projects for him. Visit our Belson research site (started with Jordan) for more about the films. Our restored films continue to screen at venues worldwide (along with Fischinger, Bute and others from CVM).

An unfinished film, c. 1983. CVM screened this at our memorial screening for Jordan just after his death, at PFA Berkeley. We've occasionally screened it in special screenings, such as our Retrospective co-curated with Belson, Films Sacred and Profane: Jordan Belson Retrospective. This program featu...

06/24/2026

Meditation by Jordan Belson (excerpt). Restored by CVM photochemically, from his original 16mm a/b/c rolls, to a new preservation negative and prints. CVM worked closely with Jordan on the preservation and restoration of many of his films, distribution of his films, and much more. We don't use the decades old internegatives he rejected and retired for being defective, we go back to his actual originals. We're the only organization with restored & new prints approved by Jordan himself. He also curated the Belson "5 Essential Films" DVD, at our online shop. Recently we loaned Meditation to the Mediacity Biennale at the Seoul Museum of Art.

VIsit our Belson research site for more about the films, our work with him, essays on the Vortex Concerts, filmography and more.
Meditation was restored with support from the National Film Preservation Foundation.

Excerpt from Belson's film Meditation (1971), restored by Center for Visual Music from his original a/b/c rolls. Belson was opposed to any change of his music or soundtrack; we honor his wishes and intent by only screening his films with his original soundtracks. CVM worked closely with Belson on hi...

06/20/2026

Art Basel, Zero 10 exhibition of Digital Masterpieces includes oscilloscope test photographs by Mary Ellen Bute with Ted Nemeth. Through June 21. Top, two test photos. Bottom, still from her film Abstronic. See our Bute site for more on her work.