The Baton Rouge Gallery, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, kicked off its annual Movies & Music on the Lawn series last week.
First introduced in 1988, Movies & Music on the Lawn is a summer film series that pairs iconic silent films with the music of local contemporary artists. These musicians perform an original score for each movie, which is projected on a massive inflatable screen in the field behind the gallery.
To celebrate the gallery’s 50th anniversary, the Movies & Music on the Lawn series will take a look back at the program’s history, bringing back the films and bands that have made the biggest impact throughout the years.
The first event in the series took place in October of 1988 with a screening of the horror classic “Nosferatu” paired with a score by local experimental rock group The eXpanded Trio – the same pairing that will close out this year’s anniversary celebration.
“The eXpanded Trio hasn’t played together in many, many years,” Baton Rouge Gallery executive director Jason Andreasen said. “It’s kind of cool to see the program come full circle.”
When the Baton Rouge Gallery first screened “Nosferatu,” it was intended to be a one-time event. In each summer since that screening, however, Movies & Music on the Lawn has grown in popularity.
“It wasn’t intended to be something that would last 18 years, but the response was there and people wanted to see other movies get that kind of treatment,” Andreasen said.
This year’s next screening will take place on Saturday, June 25, and will feature the 2011 film “The Artist” coupled with a live score by Baton Rouge native jazz group Captain Green.
Movies & Music on the Lawn is free to all Baton Rouge Gallery members and $7 for non-members. Unlimited popcorn is included in the price of admission, and additional concessions will be available for purchase.
The film series isn’t the only Baton Rouge Gallery program doing something special to celebrate the golden anniversary.
Previously, the gallery’s monthly exhibitions would feature the work of a few local artists, but there was rarely a tie between the artists or their bodies of work. This year, however, several exhibitions will see artists tackle a shared concept or question.
For example, in May, the gallery held an exhibition called “Before the Fork,” which featured works that commented on food production, food systems and GMOs.
The highlight of the gallery’s celebrations will take place in July, with a retrospective on the gallery itself in which the work of 50 artists spanning the gallery’s history will be displayed. This show opened on July 3, and the opening reception will take place on July 6.
“You’ll see work from the artists who founded the gallery, artists of note that were a part of the gallery at some point during those 50 years, and newer artist members who might have an impact on the gallery or on local art into the future,” Andreasen said.
Information on upcoming exhibitions can be found on Baton Rouge Gallery’s website.