Center for Visual Music

10/15/2026

Do not use “Search with Meta AI” - it’s ridiculously inaccurate. It pulls from bad sources and delivers errors.

10/13/2026

Happy October! Here's an animation concept drawing by Mary Ellen Bute for her film Spook Sport, from a series. She hired an unknown animator Norman McLaren to animate her dozens of concept drawings and storyboard. It's Bute season now, we're pleased to loan her films to these venues:

--At the new Lucas Museum, Los Angeles, in a reel looping daily in the Vorkapich Theatre.
--In a group exhibition at Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, one film, looping.
--Recently in Fantoche Festival, Baden, Switzerland.
--Also recently, a photograph from her oscilloscope experiments was on display at Art Basel.
--Upcoming, a program of 10 of her abstract films in 16mm, in Portland, Oregon, US, details soon.

09/24/2026

The new Lucas Museum in LA has opened, with an amazing lineup of films looping all day in two theatres. We have new DCPs for our loans, which screen in the Vorkapich Theatre (on the left as you enter museum lobby).

Named in honor of the influential filmmaker who helped bring avant-garde editing techniques to Hollywood, the Slavko Vorkapich Theater showcases innovative short films spanning the history of the medium, from its earliest years to the present day. The program explores the essence of cinema—editing, light, motion, color, and sound—through the work of filmmakers who have pushed the boundaries of the art form. Featuring early film experiments, abstract and experimental cinema, visual music, and animated shorts, it invites audiences to experience the magic of images in motion (Lucas Museum post).

Still from Oskar Fischinger, Composition in Blue, and a page from the film program.

EDIT: We also loaned Belson and Bute films.

Thanks to bionicbuzz for posting the program.

09/12/2026

UPA Doc coming in 2027.

"Animation Mavericks: The Forgotten Story of UPA" shows the origins...

09/05/2026

A few pages from the program at the new Lucas Museum in LA, with an amazing lineup of films looping all day in two theatres. We have new DCPs for our loans, which screen in the Vorkapich Theatre (on the left as you enter museum lobby). On these pages, the Oskar Fischinger and Mary Ellen Bute films are from CVM (among others).

Named in honor of the influential filmmaker who helped bring avant-garde editing techniques to Hollywood, the Slavko Vorkapich Theater showcases innovative short films spanning the history of the medium, from its earliest years to the present day. The program explores the essence of cinema—editing, light, motion, color, and sound—through the work of filmmakers who have pushed the boundaries of the art form. Featuring early film experiments, abstract and experimental cinema, visual music, and animated shorts, it invites audiences to experience the magic of images in motion (Lucas Museum post).

Thanks to bionicbuzz for posting this on IG.

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.

07/08/2026

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...