LAS VEGAS (DATE) – MGM Resorts Art & Culture is pleased to announce a free screening of the feature-length documentary Kusama: Infinity on September 28 at 4 p.m. at the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). The event is presented in collaboration with Raw Femme and will be followed by a special Q&A with the film’s director Heather Lenz and Raw Femme founder Amanda ’Rawky’ Lozano.
 

Kusama: Infinity details the life and legacy of celebrated Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, now the top-selling female artist in the world. Despite growing up in Japan during World War II and struggles with mental illness, she rose to fame after becoming the first Japanese woman to exhibit at the 45th Venice Biennale in 1993. Her globally-renowned work spans the disciplines of painting, sculpture, installation art, performance art, poetry and literary fiction.
 

This screening comes on the heels of an incredibly successful dual installation by Kusama at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, Narcissus Garden and Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity, which ran from November 2018 to April 2019. This marked the first time that the artist presented any works in Las Vegas.

The screening is free and open to the community. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP in advance at https://kusama-film-screening.eventbrite.com. Please note the venue is subject to capacity.
 

About Yayoi Kusama
Born in Matsumoto, Japan in 1929, Kusama is known internationally for her installation work,

sculptures and paintings. From the time she was a child, Kusama suffered from traumatic

hallucinations of being consumed by threatening nets and dots. At the age of 10, she began to use these dots and nets as motifs for her paintings. In 1958, she moved to New York City where she created her first mirrored room and Narcissus Garden, both representing awareness of infinity and admiration for one’s own reflection. Early in her career, Kusama struggled to achieve the same recognition that many of her male counterparts enjoyed and soon moved back to Japan where she sought psychiatric assistance in dealing with depression. Over the next 20 years, Kusama re-established herself in the art world. In 1993 she was the first Japanese woman to have a solo show at the 45th Venice Biennale, and in 2002 she exhibited over 280 works at the Matsumoto City Art Gallery, where she still exhibits today. Kusama partnered with Louis Vuitton in 2012 and opened her own museum in 2017.
 

About Heather Lenz
Writer, director and producer Heather Lenz is passionate about documentaries and biography films. She is drawn to stories about people with creative minds who have not walked the beaten path (such as Yayoi Kusama). Her first short documentary about a bicycle inventor, Back to Back, was nominated for a student Academy Award and screened in film festivals worldwide. Lenz has degrees in Art History and Fine Arts. She also earned an MFA in Cinematic Arts from the University of Southern California.

About MGM Resorts Art & Culture

MGM Resorts Art & Culture was established in 2016 and focuses on commissioning, collecting, supporting and presenting contemporary art in and around MGM Resorts’ destinations globally. Currently the MGM Resorts Art Collection includes more than 800 pieces by over 200 artists. For more information, please visit the MGM Resorts Art & Culture website and YouTube page. For additional media materials, images and videos, visit the MGM Resorts newsroom: newsroom.mgmresorts.com.

About Raw Femme

Raw Femme is a Las Vegas based online publication and media collective dedicated to showcasing emerging women artists of every medium. A multi-faceted, artistically inclined platform fueled by creative and artistic women that hosts local female-centric events, produces online editorial content, and collaborates with other like-minded organizations in an effort to celebrate women who breathe art and its many forms.

About Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art

The Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art believes everyone deserves access to the arts. Located on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the Barrick promotes a powerful awareness of the arts through programs of exhibitions, workshops, lectures and community activities. The museum is free. All are welcome.

###

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Darius Sabbaghzadeh / Kyle Hinton

Third Eye

(213) 277-5798 

darius@hellothirdeye.com / kyle@hellothirdeye.com