ATMOSPHERES is filmmaker Dale Schierholt’s portrait of artist Eric Hopkins. Hopkins, who began his artistic journey at the Rhode Island School of Design and an early apprenticeship with the renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly, landed back home on the Island of North Haven, Maine where he established himself as an original artistic voice in the celebrated MidCoast Maine art scene.
“It might sound funny, but I’m not that interested in art,” Hopkins says in the film, “what I’m really interested in is the world”. Atmospheres follows Hopkins as he explores his passion for the natural world, in particular the sky, through his art. Influenced by the American space program of the sixties and seventies, the artist has been studying the sky and “collecting clouds” with the goal of interpreting those atmospheres through painting, relief sculptures and now a return to his original artistic medium – glass.
More than a story about art and the artistic process, the film captures the atmosphere of being with a man who hasn’t allowed his life’s tragedies to stop him from choosing happiness and focusing on the “good stuff” the world has to offer.
Running time: 1h 11m
Q & A with Eric Hopkins and Dale Schierholt follows the screening.
Tickets: $10/General Admission, available at the door 30 minutes prior to show time
A documentary filmmaker known for his intimate film portraits of visual artists. Over the course of twenty plus films, Schierholt’s subjects have included such renowned artists as Louise Nevelson, Robert Indiana, Will Barnet, Tony DeLap and Ai Weiwei. A graduate of Miami University with a BA in Fine Arts, Schierholt’s film work has been commissioned by institutions across the US. In addition, he is a frequent lecturer at Universities and Arts Institutions. He has worked with organizations such as The National Academy of Design in Manhattan, Princeton University, The Art Students League of New York and The Asia Society in Hong Kong. His films have screened at festivals and arts venues around the world and on PBS affiliates from New York to California. More at DaleSchierholt.com.