A world premiere for the documentary on pioneering LES performance artist Arleen Schloss

"It's A to Z: The Art of Arleen Schloss," a documentary that will be of particular interest to East Village/LES residents, is making its world premiere this Friday evening. 

Stuart Ginsberg, director and producer, shared information about the screening, which will take place at the 12th annual NYC Chain Film Festival on Friday at 8 p.m. Location: 312 W. 36th St. between Eighth Avenue and Ninth Avenue. Find ticket info here. 

And bout the film: 

"It's A to Z: The Art of Arleen Schloss" delves into the life and work of Arleen Schloss, a pioneering artist who heavily influenced the Downtown New York art scene. Known for her innovative work, Schloss has been a vital part of the avant-garde movement since the 1970s. The documentary features interviews with notable musicians, artists, and curators such as Alan Vega of Suicide, Eric Bogosian, Elodie Lauten, Phoebe, Legere, and Gracie Mansion, (Sur) Rodney Sur, as well as archival interviews with John Cage, Timothy Leary, and Glenn Branca. 

Schloss was one of the first performance artists to perform at the Museum of Modern Art and made experimental sound and video work throughout her art career. She is known in the New York Art Loft scene for A's, Schloss's iconic loft space that became a hub for the New York City underground and avant-garde scenes. A's was a breeding ground for creativity and experimentation, where artists from various disciplines came together to push the boundaries of art, music, and performance.

"I became intrigued by Arleen Schloss' story and about how hundreds, if not thousands, of artists in various disciplines owed their success, in part, to Arleen," Ginsberg said. "She typically embraced emerging forms and processes before they fully broke through, including performance art, spoken word art, video art, mail art, cyber art, lasers, and virtually any kind of technology that generated new possibilities." 

Find more info about the film on Instagram or Facebook.

Campaign underway to help Arleen Schloss

Filmmaker Stuart Ginsberg has launched a crowdfunding campaign for artist/curator Arleen Schloss. The 70-year-old Schloss was injured last month in a fall in her Broome Street home

Here is the background via GoFundMe:

Recently, Arleen Schloss suffered a near-fatal brain injury when she slipped and fell at her home in January. Rushed to the hospital, she is currently in rehab and will possibly continue for a few more months.

Her friends are raising money to help Arleen pay her current bills, medical care and any future home care. Arleen also suffers from MS and will need help for both conditions.

Who is Arleen Schloss? Arleen is an experimental artist who helped foster the East Village art scene through her loft called A's as well as through other events and performances.

The New York Times called her work "much superior to most performance art" and White Hot Magazine referred to Arleen as "a national treasure." Arleen traveled the world with her performances, installations, experimental work and video art.

Over 1,000 artists, performers, musicians, writers and poets owe their success to Arleen.

From 1979 to 1995, Schloss opened up her loft at 330 Broome St. in the Lower East Side to a group of then-unknown artists, actors and musicians that included Sonic Youth, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Eric Bogosian, Glenn Branca, Phoebe Legere and Alan Suiclde, among many others.

Ginsberg has been working on a documentary about Schloss titled "Wednesdays at A's." Here's the trailer.



Find more info at GoFundMe.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Arleen Schloss and 'Wednesday at A's'

Arleen Schloss and 'Wednesday at A's'

Filmmaker Stuart Ginsberg reached out yesterday to tell me about his in-progress documentary, "Wednesdays at A's," a feature that explores the work of artist/curator Arleen Schloss (pictured, above).

Via the "Wednesdays at A's" website: The film "explores how Schloss's art work evolved and changed with the times. Through exclusive archival footage shot by Schloss herself, mixed with interviews with people from the scene, we trace her life story and see – from her point of view — how New York City has changed from the 1970s to present day."

From 1979 to 1995, Schloss opened up her loft at 330 Broome St. in the Lower East Side to a group of then-unknown artists, actors and musicians that included Sonic Youth, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Eric Bogosian, Glenn Branca, Phoebe Legere and Alan Suiclde, among many others.

[Find more flyers here]

"I made the documentary because people like Arleen Schloss were important to the creative atmosphere of New York City," Ginsberg told me. "Unfortunately, we have forgotten about our history and people like Arleen who were a center point for artists, performers, actors and musicians. As for her work as an experimental artist, she was ahead of her time, and I feel it's necessary to recognize the artists who experimented with new forms of art before many other people did."

Ginsberg is currently in post production and is looking for finishing funds to transfer footage, buy some equipment and hire an editor. He has a Kickstarter campaign to help him reach his modest goal of $5,000.

Here's a trailer for the film...



I asked Ginsberg if he thought New York would see an environment like A's again.

"I don't think so. The scenes in the past dealt with real estate and a lower cost of living. You could get a cheap apartment for $400 and have a part-time job. Then devote another 40 hours a week to your art," he said. "The other reason why is that many talented people are now becoming web designers, video game designers, videographers, etc. The arts have become more professional and that's where people are spending most of their time. However, there will always be a scene as long as people in the arts get together to put on a play or exhibition."

And here's a link to a collection of her work. She still lives at 330 Broome St.