The SCA Summer Screening Series and Mata Ortiz Productions invite you and a guest to a special screening of:

The Renaissance of Mata Ortiz

Produced, Directed and Edited by Scott Petersen

Followed by a Q&A with Scott Petersen

7:00 P.M. on Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

The Ray Stark Family Theatre
George Lucas Building, SCA 108
900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007

FREE ADMISSION. OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

There will be genuine Mata Ortiz pottery for sale in the lobby of the George Lucas Building, provided by Modern Mata Ortiz and DeSilva Imports.

About The Renaissance of Mata Ortiz

The amazing story of how an intrepid American adventurer and a brilliant self-taught Mexican artist transformed a dying desert village into a home for world-class ceramics.

When Spencer MacCallum walked into a second-hand store in Deming, New Mexico, in 1976 and bought three pieces of pottery, he had no idea that he was about to embark on a journey that would lead to the revival of an ancient art form. Finding his way to Mata Ortiz, México, MacCallum partnered with self-taught artist Juan Quezada and slowly they created an industry that today is known world-wide not only for its interpretations of a centuries-old style of ceramics, but for stunning post-modern works as well.

The Renaissance of Mata Ortiz tells the improbable story of how Quezada (without a kiln or a potter’s wheel and using only found materials) and MacCallum both experienced creative and personal breakthroughs which led to dazzling, innovating works by Quezada and a passing of the torch to younger, award-winning artists such as Diego Valles.

Provided courtesy of Mata Ortiz Production. Running time: 74 minutes. Not rated. In English and Spanish, with English subtitles.

To visit the Official Website and view the trailer, click here.

About the Guest

Scott Petersen (Producer/Director/Editor)
Armed with degrees in film and economics from the University of Michigan, Scott Petersen began his career on the feature film Zebrahead. Along with working in John (Home Alone, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off) Hughes’ office, his résumé includes work on “Antiques Roadshow,” “Rescue 911,” “Unsolved Mysteries,” Fox News, BBC, VH1, the Food Network, MGM Home Entertainment and several feature films and commercials.

Petersen produced and directed the award-winning, feature-length documentary Out Of The Loop, which explored Chicago’s underground music scene and featured such Windy City notables as Veruca Salt, the Jesus Lizard, and Steve Albini. This movie enjoyed a 15-city tour of colleges and universities and played at several festivals around the United States and Europe. Out Of The Loop was broadcast on PBS.

He delved deep into the cutthroat world of tournament Scrabble® with his award-winning 2003 documentary, Scrabylon, which he produced, directed and edited. Media outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, TimeOut New York and the syndicated entertainment news program “Extra!” have all featured stories on Scrabylon. After numerous festivals and screenings around the United States, this acclaimed doc was featured on PBS and is now available on DVD.

An editor by trade, The Renaissance of Mata Ortiz is his third long-form documentary. He lives in Southern California.

About the Pottery Traders

MODERN MATA ORTIZ

Located in the northern provence of Chihuahua, the small village of Mata Ortiz and the surrounding communities are home to a vibrant movement of artists. They create an exceptional style of pottery based on the traditional lessons of their ancient teachers - the people of the Paquimé Pueblo, also known as Casas Grandes, who lived in the region over eight centuries ago. In accordance with tradition, every element used to create each pot is carefully handmade from natural materials collected in the hills surrounding the village. At the same time, the creative innovations of today's artists makes for highly collectable fine art that is equally at home in a rustic village or a modern loft!

Here at Modern Mata Ortiz, you will find a wide variety of fine pieces from master artists as well as promising newcomers. Each piece is hand selected and purchased directly from the artist in order to insure high quality and fair trading practices. A percentage of each purchase will go back to the village in the form of donations of school supplies and toys for the children of Mata Ortiz.

http://www.ModernMataOrtiz.com

DESILVA IMPORTS

DeSilva Imports was started, by Steve Thompson and Louis Rodriguez, based on a love for all things handmade. Our mission is to bring Folk Art and fine Hand Crafted Jewelry, direct from the artisan to our customers’ doorsteps! You may have seen handmade treasures similar to ours on your travels to foreign lands, but not been able to fit anything else in your suitcase. Maybe you have been dreaming of that item ever since… Through the ease of our online purchase process, we hope that we can provide similar items, and bring back all those wonderful memories of your own travels! Filling your home and your wardrobe with all the warmth and love that our artists have poured into their creations!

DeSilva Imports values the artistry of handmade arts and crafts. In a world in which we have become very reliant on mass quantity, machine made items; it is refreshing to add the natural beauty of a unique and one of a kind work of art. What we have found in our visits with our artisans is that they truly pour their heart and soul into their creations! And we are always impressed by the fact that these traditions are often part of their local culture, and that the artists are passing these traditions down within their own families. At DeSilva Imports we want to do our part in keeping these truly lovely traditions alive. We encourage you to visit our Focus on the Artist page to learn more about each of the artisans that we work with. In supporting these artisans, we hope that you will also keep these art forms and traditions alive!

http://www.DeSilvaImports.com

Check-In & Reservations

This screening is free of charge and open to the general public. Please bring a photo ID or print out of your reservation confirmation, which will automatically be sent to your e-mail account upon successfully making an RSVP through this website. Doors will open at 6:30 P.M.

Parking

The USC School of Cinematic Arts is located at 900 W. 34th St., Los Angeles, CA 90007. Parking passes may be purchased for $8.00 at USC Entrance Gate #5, located at the intersection of W. Jefferson Blvd. & McClintock Avenue. We recommend parking in outdoor Lot M or V, or Parking Structure D, at the far end of 34th Street. Please note that Parking Structure D cannot accommodate tall vehicles such as SUVs. Metered street parking is also available along Jefferson Blvd.

Contact Information

Name: Alessandro Ago
Email: aago@cinema.usc.edu
Phone: 213.740.2330