The Cool School

Documentary film looks at the beginnings of L.A.’s art scene

Comments (0) By TAMMY PORTNOY Thursday, Nov 29 2007

Walter Hopps and Ed Kienholz did for art what Miles Davis did for jazz: they created the cool school. See how they did it at today’s screening of The Cool School by filmmaker Morgan Neville. The Woodstock Film Festival’s best documentary winner looks at the time when Hopps, who later became the first director of The Menil Collection, and Kienholz, an artist buddy, put Los Angeles on the art map. The film examines the founding of Hopps and Kienholz’s Ferus Gallery in L.A., which the police closed down a few times. Jeff Bridges wittily narrates with additional commentaries by Dennis Hopper and the gallery’s still-living artists Ed Ruscha, Robert Irwin, Kenneth Price and Ed Moses.

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Today’s free screening is followed by a discussion with The Cool School co--producer/cowriter Kristine McKenna and Menil Collection communications director Vance Muse. Additional screenings, with regular $6 and $7 tickets, follow at 7 p.m. on December 7 and 14. 1001 Bissonnet. For tickets and information, call 713-639-7515 or visit www.mfah.org.
Sun., Dec. 2, 5 p.m.; Fri., Dec. 7, 7 p.m.; Fri., Dec. 14, 7 p.m., 2007