LOVING VINCENT AT THE ATHENA: Paint & Sip

Calling all cinephiles and Impression-able artists – We’ve got the perfect way to celebrate Mother’s Day!

We’re thrilled to announce our next movie-themed paint & sip event: Loving Vincent at the Athena, inspired by the world-renown painter Vincent Van Gogh! Van Gogh’s work has stood the test of time, filled museums around the world, and continues to move and enchant viewers of all ages with its rich colors, interesting subject matter, and fluid technique. Not only that, but the life story of Van Gogh himself has kept fans and scholars busy for more than a century trying to get to the heart of what propelled his rise to greatness and his tragic decent into madness.

OHIO Graduate Art Student Brooke Ripley will lead a 2 hour course that will guide you thru the creation of a Van Gogh-esque painting inspired by the master’s iconic style.

About the Teacher

Brooke Ripley is a multimedia artist who works with speculative fiction to represent the experience of the climate crisis. She received her BFA in Fine Arts from the Columbus College of Art and Design, with minors in Art History and Social Practice, and is currently a third-year MFA candidate at Ohio University in the Painting and Drawing Department. Visit Brooke’s website here.

We have very limited availability for these classes, so register today!  

Saturday, May 11th at 1:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 12th at 1:00 p.m.

Registration for the basic course is $30.00 and includes all art supplies and instruction fees for your 16×20 painting.

Or opt for our inclusive package:

$40—includes all supplies and tuition, plus 2 drinks of your choice

(We have a wide selection of beer, wine, hard ciders, and hard seltzers!)

 

“I put my heart and my soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process…– Vincent Van Gogh

 

LOVING VINCENT Film Screening

Keep your love for Van Gogh flowing by watching the awe-inspiring film LOVING VINCENT. We’ll be showing this exquisitely animated film as a one-time special screening Saturday, May 11th at 3:00 p.m. – after Saturday’s Paint & Sip.

To learn more about the film and purchase tickets, click here.

** Paint & Sip tickets and film tickets must be purchased separately. **

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Mt. Zion’s Berry Day Week Kick-Off Event!

Viewing: May 20,2024

Athens Premiere Screening:

THE LINCOLN SCHOOL STORY

May 20th, 2024

In partnership with WOUB Public Media, Mount Zion Black Cultural Center proudly presents THE LINCOLN SCHOOL STORY. This production, created by Ohio Humanities and distributed by WOSU Public Media in Columbus, follows a group of Black mothers in Southwest Ohio as they heroically fight for school desegregation. After Brown v. Board of Education was decided in 1954, the Lincoln School Marchers marched with their children to the white elementary school, demanding admission-only to be turned away. They woke the next morning and marched again. And again. For over two years, they marched in what became one of the longest-sustained actions of the nation’s Civil Rights movement.

Hosted by Mount Zion Black Cultural Center

Reception – Athena Lobby 5:30 – 6pm

With light refreshments and concessions

Screening: THE LINCOLN SCHOOL STORY – 6pm

WOUB’s Community Engagement Manager Cheri Russo will introduce Dr. David Descuter, a financial supporter of the film.  Following the screening Chris Boyd will discuss his experience as a Black Business Owner of Zachary’s Deli in Athens, Ohio. Admission is free.

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Running Time: 28 MIN28 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible
Monday 05/206:00
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The Met: Live in HD: Puccini’s MADAMA BUTTERFLY

Viewing: May 25,2024

Extraordinary soprano Asmik Grigorian tackles the demanding role of Cio-Cio-San, the loyal geisha at the heart of Puccini’s devastating tragedy. Tenor Jonathan Tetelman stars as the callous American naval officer Pinkerton, whose betrayal destroys her. Mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong reprises the role of the steadfast maid Suzuki, and baritone Lucas Meachem is the American consul Sharpless. Acclaimed maestro Xian Zhang takes the podium on May 11 to conduct Anthony Minghella’s vivid production.

Due to the current repairs going on at the Athena Cinema, this program will be presented as a pre-recorded encore at the Ridges Auditorium. The screening starts at 12:55pm and is estimated to end at 4:10pm. 

Admission $20 (senior $18, children $8)

OHIO Student: Free

Thanks to Arts for OHIO, we are able to offer a limited number of FREE student tickets available on first-come, first-serve basis. Must have valid student I.D.

 

Special thanks to George Weckman and the following supporters:

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Running Time: 195 MIN195 MIN
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Saturday 05/2512:55
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Don Hertzfeldt: IT’S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY + ME

Viewing: May 31,2024

Watch Trailer

Join us for a special event screening of an animation masterpiece!

Dark and troubling events force Bill to reckon with the meaning of his life.

In 2012, Don Hertzfeldt seamlessly edited his groundbreaking short film trilogy about a man named Bill into a new animated feature film. Six years in the making, the completed picture was captured entirely in-camera on a 35mm rostrum animation stand. Built in the 1940s and used by Hertzfeldt on every project since 1999, it was one of the last surviving cameras of its kind still operating in the world, indispensable in the creation of the story’s unique images and visual effects. IT’S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY painstakingly blends traditional hand-drawn animation, experimental optical effects, trick photography, and digital hybrids printed out one frame at a time.

The film’s signature “split screen” effect was achieved by photographing the animation through small holes that were positioned beneath the camera lens. One section of the film frame would be individually photographed, the camera’s shutter was then closed and the film rewound, another section of the film frame would be exposed, and the process repeated until a scene was fully composited.

Towards the end of production, the old camera’s motor began to fail and could no longer advance the film properly, riddling the final reels with unintentional light leaks.

Upon its original release in 2012, IT’S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY was listed by many film critics as one of the best films of the year!

The screening will also include Don’s latest animated short film “ME”, as well as a brief on-screen introduction for the films.

Don Hertzfeldt is an American independent filmmaker whose animated films have screened around the world. His work has received two Oscar nominations for Best Animated Short Film, two Sundance Film Festival Grand Prizes for Short Film, a Short Film Palm d’Or nomination at the Cannes Film Festival, and over 250 other awards.

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Running Time: 98 MIN98 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible
Friday 05/317:30

A truly moving meditation on identity, family and the meaning of life... Hertzfeldt's magnum opus.

John DeFore
The Hollywood Reporter
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I Love Gay 90’s: THE BIRDCAGE

Viewing: June 06,2024

Watch Trailer Director: Mike Nichols
Writer(s): Elaine May
Cast: Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne West

Armand Goldman (Robin Williams) is a gay Jewish man who owns a nightclub in Miami’s South Beach neighborhood – “The Birdcage” – a venue that has a well-known reputation for its drag shows. In fact, Armand’s partner Albert (Nathan Lane) is the main attraction, performing under the name “Starina.” When Armand’s son Val, a product of a one-night stand with a woman, shows up and explains that he intends to marry a right-wing senator’s daughter, Armand and Albert are compelled to “go into the closet” and pretend to be straight men so that Val can introduce them to the girl’s parents. Things get sticky when a political scandal breaks out involving a colleague of the conservative senator who dies in the arms of a black prostitute, and the real identity of Armand, Albert, and their nightclub is in danger of coming to light.

Mike Nichols, who was involved in the original 1983 Broadway adaptation, directs this hilarious cinematic adaptation of La Cage aux Folles, the 1973 French play by Jean Poiret. Featuring a supporting cast that includes Gene Hackman, Dianne West, and Hank Azaria, The Birdcage is a fun and flamboyant comedy about what happens when one’s true identity is forced into hiding, and its critical acclaim made it a landmark film with respect to LGBTQ representation in mass media.

Click here to view the rest of the films in the I Love Gay 90’s lineup.

This series is sponsored by Ohio University Pride Center, Ohio University Women’s Center, Ohio University Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies, College of Health Sciences and Professions, Women of Color in Athens, City of Athens, College of Fine Arts, Arts for OHIO and the Ohio Arts Council.

 

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Running Time: 117 MIN117 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible
Thursday 06/067:00
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Classics & Cocktails: REPO MAN

Viewing: June 07,2024

Watch Trailer Director: Alex Cox
Cast: Emilio Estevez, Harry Dean Stanton

Widely considered one of the best films of 1984 – a year which also saw the release of huge films like Revenge of the Nerds, the original Dune, and The Never Ending Story – REPO MAN is the evergreen, cult classic satire of America’s Reagan Era.

The featured cocktail is the Berry Kamikaze, made with Eleven Square vodka, fresh lime and Naranja Orange liqueur.

Otto Maddox (Emilio Estevez) is a young punk in L.A. who loses his job, his girl, and his desire to put up with his hippie-ish parents. Wandering the streets one night, Otto is approached by Bud (Harry Dean Stanton) and offered a small sum of money to drive a car out of the neighborhood. This leads to Otto getting swept up in a chain of events that involves him begrudgingly becoming a “repo man” and chasing after the $20K bounty on a Chevy Malibu whose trunk may contain something more otherworldly than a spare tire.

With its weird special effects, its cinematic snapshots of the Mojave Desert and mid-1980’s Los Angeles, and a punked-up soundtrack by Iggy Pop (not to mention a cameo appearance from punk legends The Circle Jerks), REPO MAN is a love letter to its era and unlike any other film you’ve seen.

Click here to view the rest of the films in the Classics & Cocktails lineup.

 

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Running Time: 92 MIN92 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible
Friday 06/077:00
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I Love Gay 90’s: BUT I’M A CHEERLEADER

Viewing: June 13,2024

Watch Trailer Director: Jamie Babbit
Cast: Natasha Lyonne, Clea DuVall, Ru Paul, Cathy Moriarty

Megan is happily making her way through high school as a cheerleader who’s dating a football player. However, she secretly doesn’t enjoy making out with her boyfriend that much, preferring instead to check out her female peers on the cheerleading squad. Also, her religious parents have noticed Megan’s predilection for eating only vegetables and listening to Melissa Ethridge, which they take to be big red flags that Megan is really a lesbian. As a result, they stage an intervention and send Megan away to a “conversion therapy” camp where the program has the opposite effect – Megan ultimately embraces her lesbianism and falls in love with another camper.

Natasha Lyonne stars alongside Clea DuVall, Ru Paul, and Cathy Moriarty in this charming and satirical teen cult film directed by Jamie Babbit.

Click here to view the rest of the films in the I Love Gay 90’s lineup.

 

This series is sponsored by Ohio University Pride Center, Ohio University Women’s Center, Ohio University Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies, College of Health Sciences and Professions, Women of Color in Athens, City of Athens, College of Fine Arts, Arts for OHIO and the Ohio Arts Council.

 

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Running Time: 85 MIN85 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible
Thursday 06/137:00
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Classics & Cocktails: GHOST

Viewing: June 14,2024

Watch Trailer Director: Jerry Zucker
Writer(s): Bruce Joel Rubin
Cast: Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg
Awards: Oscar - Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Picture (nom), Best Editing (nom), Best Original Score (nom)

The second film in our Classics & Cocktails series is GHOST. The featured cocktail is the Ditto Gimlet, made with Eleven Square Gin, fresh lime, simple syrup, cucumber, mint, Angostura, rose water and salt.

Sam (Patrick Swayze) and Molly (Demi Moore) are madly in love with one another and thrilled to be taking their relationship to the next step by moving into a lavish Manhattan apartment together. When a fateful chance encounter with a mugger leads to Sam’s murder, Molly is left to move on and deal with her grief. However, little does Molly know that Sam has not completely left her – his discovers that, due to his love for Molly, his ghost remains. Sam eventually comes in contact with psychic Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg) and the duo try earnestly to make Molly believe that Sam is trying to say his final goodbye. Meanwhile, Sam’s “friend” Carl (Tony Goldwyn) is trying to fill the hole in Molly’s life, mostly as a pretense for finding Sam’s book of bank account passwords which Carl wants to use for an illicit transaction. Carl ends up hiring the same criminal who killed Sam to break into Molly’s apartment to steal the book, but Sam learns of the plot and does his supernatural utmost to stop it.

Released in 1990, GHOST was not only the highest-grossing film of that year, but it was also nominated for five Academy Awards (two of which it won – Best Supporting Actress for Whoopi Goldberg and Best Screenplay for Bruce Joel Rubin). Beyond that, the film’s legacy remains strong decades later due to iconic moments like the “pottery wheel love scene”, its enchanting soundtrack, its original use of special effects, and its performances from an amazing cast. GHOST is a truly unique love story that will continue to haunt you for all the years to come!

Click here to view the rest of the films in the Classics & Cocktails lineup.

 

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Running Time: 127 MIN127 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible
Friday 06/147:00
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I Love Gay 90s: THE WATERMELON WOMAN

Viewing: June 20,2024

Watch Trailer Director: Cheryl Dunye
Writer(s): Cheryl Dunye
Cast: Cheryl Dunye, , Guinevere Turner, Camille Paglia

Written, directed by, and starring Cheryl Dunye, THE WATERMELON WOMAN was the first feature film to be directed by a black lesbian when it was released in 1996. Shot in a documentary style and featuring a protagonist named “Cheryl” who is a black lesbian filmmaker like Dunye herself, this humorous (and sexy) film sets out to tell the story of black lesbians in cinema – particularly that of Fae Richards, star of the 1930’s film called “The Watermelon Woman.” Cheryl, however, runs into to problems in her research due to the fact that both Hollywood and other archival institutions by-and-large excluded or ignored black queer women, and the scant information she is able to uncover fails to tell the full story. Since books and documents aren’t adequate source material for her project, Cheryl instead opts to track down people who might have insight on the topic.

Made with an initial budget of $300K which was financed by a grant from the NEA and grass-roots fundraising efforts, Dunye’s humble film has since been recognized as a milestone in New Queer Cinema. Beneath its cheeky surface, THE WATERMELON WOMAN digs deep into the issues surrounding representation in media and the challenges of trying to look at history through a new lens.

Click here to view the rest of the films in the I Love Gay 90’s lineup.

 

This series is sponsored by Ohio University Pride Center, Ohio University Women’s Center, Ohio University Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies, College of Health Sciences and Professions, Women of Color in Athens, City of Athens, College of Fine Arts, Arts for OHIO and the Ohio Arts Council.

 

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Running Time: 90 MIN90 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible
Thursday 06/207:00
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Classics & Cocktails: SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER

Viewing: June 21,2024

Watch Trailer Director: John Badham
Cast: John Travolta, Karen Lynn Gorney

How deep is your love…for this classic movie?! This is the film that made John Travolta and The Bee Gees household names. This is the film that cinema critic Gene Siskel put at the top of his list of all-time favorites. This is the film that will make you want to boogie!

The featured cocktail is the Midori Sour, made with Midori melon liqueur, Eleven Square vodka, fresh lemon and lime juice and soda water.

Travolta is “Tony Manero”, a Brooklyn teen on the verge of manhood, who works a dead-end job in a paint store by day but becomes king of the dancefloor among the nightlife of his favorite discotheque. The gritty streets of New York are a tough place for a young man, however, and Tony finds himself embroiled in several situations that threaten to break him down and undermine his faith in the power of dance to set him free.

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER is, possibly, the quintessential late-70’s film, featuring a hip-shaking, Grammy-winning soundtrack that almost-singlehandedly launched the American Disco craze. It also garnered Travolta an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. It continues to resonate with audiences and influence popular culture nearly half-a-century later.

Click here to view the rest of the films in the Classics & Cocktails lineup.

 

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Running Time: 118 MIN118 MIN
This Film is Wheelchair Accessible
Friday 06/217:00
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