PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Jan. 6-19,2009

The film is an Official Selection of the PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL,and will screen Fri., Jan.9,2009 @ 12pm and Sat. Jan.10th @ 1pm.
The screenings will take place in the ANNENBERG THEATER, in the The Palm Springs Art Museum, 101 Museum Drive, Palm Springs, Ca.92262
John Dixon, son of Maynard Dixon and Dorothea Lange, will join me in a Q&A after the screening, and then we will lead an informal tour of the exhibit, Space Silence Spirit / Maynard Dixon's West: The Hays Collection.
Tickets may be purchased at the PSIFF website:http://www.psfilmfest.org/
Museum admission is included with your film ticket for this special event!

Paso Robles Digital Film Festival

I arrived just in time to catch the World Premiere of THIS IS NOT A RODEO, a film about professional bull riding. Quite a moving film about the men who risk life and limb for this sport. Many of the riders featured in the film were in attendance, and I also ran into Bernie Taupin, who told me he's raising bulls when he isn't penning songs with Elton John. Interesting!

Ramblin' Jack Elliott was performing after the screening, and shared with me that he likes to ride bulls in his spare time.He also hosted a screening of the film, THE BALLAD OF RAMBLIN' JACK, which chronicles Jack's life from his upbringing in Brooklyn, his folk singing adventures in the 60's and singing cowboy tales. He's a really colorful character and I love his music!
I attended a panel with Clint Eastwood's Malpaso production company. The panel members, who have all worked with Clint for 30 years, really do finish each other's sentences and Eastwood praised them all for having telepathy at this point in their partnership! GRAN TORINO is their most recent effort, and editor, Joel Cox, said that he cut the film in 10 days. The audience gasped! Ten days! Clint was on hand to present Joel Cox with the first ever Ignace Paderewski Lifetime Achievement award.

MAYNARD DIXON ART AND SPIRIT screened on Saturday, I loved answering questions and hearing comments from the audience. I had to mention that when I drove into Paso Robles, I was reminded that Dixon painted in this area, and the warm light on those hills was beautifully familiar to me. I stuck around after my screening to watch TRYING TO GET GOOD-THE JAZZ ODYSSEY OF JACK SHELDON, which was produced by my friend, Penny Peyser, and her husband Doug McIntyre. This award-winning film is remarkable and features some great interviews, I highly recommend it, and although I'm not usually a fan of jazz, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing all of fine music in this film. Check it out: http//www.tryingtogetgood.com

Kyle Eastwood and his band performed some great music at the Martin and Weyrich Winery. After that, Penny and I attended a beautiful dinner party at Villa Toscano, where we were joined by filmmakers Cass Warner,(THE BROTHERS WARNER), and Susan Morgan Cooper,(AN UNLIKELY WEAPON).For me, meeting the other filmmakers, exchanging email addresses and ideas is the best part of attending film festivals. I was honored to receive the ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE award, and will always remember this great weekend.

Coming Up-Paso Robles Digital Film Festival Nov. 22, 2008

The film has been awarded the Artistic Excellence award by the judges of the inaugural Paso Robles Digital Film Festival, November 20-25. The festival takes place in the heart of "Cowboy Wine Country" and this year's theme is Music in Film. Some of my favorite films will be screening, "Don't Look Back","The Last Waltz" and "Festival Express". Our first screening is Saturday at 3:30pm,at the Park Ballroom 1232 Park Street, Suite 200. There will be an informal discussion after the film. I will be joined by Maynard Dixon's son and co-writer of the script, Daniel Dixon,and his wife,Dixie. Dixie just released a CD of her own, she has a beautiful voice and is an accomplished guitar player.

Read more about the festival at:http://www.pasoroblesfilmfestival.com/ There will be performances by the Bacon Brothers Band, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Kyle Eastwood, and many others. Unfortunately,John McEuen, who wrote the incredible score for the film will be touring (as always!) and won't be able to be attend this festival.

In other news, the screening at the Autry National Center was a great event, on the opening day of the "Maverick Art" exhibit. The screening was attended by many enthusiastic Dixon fans, and a number of newcomers who offered some interesting insights and observations about the film. I love taking questions from the audience, and I always hear such great stories about Maynard Dixon. It's amazing how many people in the Western states show up because they grew up with a Dixon painting, or knew someone who did. Because Maynard Dixon often bartered his paintings for services from his doctors, lawyers, builders, etc.,there are still paintings out there that haven't surfaced, and I love to hear about these!

We hope to schedule another screening at the Autry again in the near future. My thanks to Amy Scott (below),the Autry's Curator of Visual Arts, for joining me in the Q&A. Amy is a beautiful and brilliant expert on Western art, and it was a pleasure to have her join me in this special event.Thanks also to Sara Bornstein for all of her efforts to coordinate the screening.


Stay tuned for news about the upcoming 2009 PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, where the film will be showcased.

Autry National Center of the American West Screening Fri. Oct. 3rd, @3pm

This Friday, Oct. 3rd, we will be screening the film for members of the Autry National Center of the American West at 3pm, as part of the opening of an exciting new exhibit, Maverick Art. After the screening, I will be joined by Autry's visual arts curator, Amy Scott, for a Q&A conversation.

Explore the surprising side of contemporary Western art in this new exhibition drawn mainly from the collections of the Autry National Center. Just as the West today is a place of tremendous visual and cultural diversity, the artists represented in Maverick Art are united not by style or message but by their role in the ongoing conversation between past and present, tradition and innovation, endurance and change.

Representing many different viewpoints, the approximately 50 artists in this exhibition share a groundbreaking status within their respective fields. From Maynard Dixon to Richard Misrach, Maverick Art explores how these artists together expand the meaning of the term Western in their collective search for a new image of the contemporary West.


"Maverick Art is about casting a wider net for our audience and the field of contemporary Western art alike. I'm interested not only in understanding how frontier myths and imagery continues to influence our contemporary identity as Westerners, but also the emergence of newer themes, from freeway culture to the atomic bomb. Our notion of who constitutes a Western artist is changing as well. As the place itself becomes increasingly diverse, many artists seek to revive or reclaim historic traditions, producing new work that is linked to a cultural past but is also very much about the present," reflects Amy Scott, Curator of Visual Arts

For more information, call the Membership Team at (323)667-2000 ext. 394

Coming Soon: Screenings at Santa Fe Film Center Sept. 19-25

'Maynard Dixon Art and Spirit' will return to the Santa Fe Film Center for three nights, Friday 9/19 through Sunday, 9/21. Showtimes are at 8:15 pm. By popular demand, there will also be a Sunday matinee at 4:15pm, 9/21. Producer/Director, Jayne McKay will be present at all of the screenings.

Just added! The Film Center have added two additional screenings: Tues. 9/23 and Thurs. 9/25, both are at 8:15pm. I won't be able to attend these, I need to return to L.A. to work on my newest project. I'd love to hear from anyone who attends, you can write me at: info@maynarddixondoc.com.

The film was an official selection at last year's Santa Fe film festival, and I'm really looking forward to returning to New Mexico. I met so many great people at those screenings, lots of fans of Maynard Dixon's art and other's who had never heard of Maynard Dixon, but were curious about the film. Their enthusiastic response to the film was very heartwarming for me, because my primary intention for producing the film was to introduce Dixon's art and life to people who hadn't ever heard of him or seen his work. Those who already know his art often stick around to thank me for producing the film, and for teaching them more about this remarkable artist, his colorful life and his unique talents.

I've spoken to my friend Dyanna Taylor about joining me for an informal panel after one or two of the screenings. Dyanna is an award-winning cinematographer, a Santa Fe resident, and is producing a film about photographer, Dorothea Lange, Dixon's second wife. She is also the granddaughter of Dorothea Lange, so she has a personal and unique perspective on Dixon and Lange to share. I'm hopeful that we can arrange to have her fit this into her busy schedule.

The Film Center, a division of The Santa Fe Film Festival, is occupying the theater wing of the former Cinemacafe and offers year-round film programming at the 125-seat theater. The Film Center at Cinemacafe opened in May, 2005 and is located at 1616 St. Michael’s Drive, in the St. Michael’s Village West Shopping Center. The Film Center serves as an exhibition hall, as a networking hub for film professionals and as the focal point for the festival’s educational programs. For further information and tickets, call (505)988-7414.

This Friday & Saturday! Screening at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center

Award-winning film on western artist Maynard Dixon to show at BBHC
The Buffalo Bill Historical Center presents the award-winning documentary, Maynard Dixon: Art and Spirit, on August 8 and 9 in the Coe Auditorium. Showings are at 1 and 3 p.m. on August 8 and at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. on August 9. The feature-length film about Dixon, known for his ability to capture the brilliant southwestern sunlight in his paintings, won the 2008 Spur Award for Best Documentary from the Western Writers of America. The screenings are included with regular admission to the historical center.

The film’s producer and director, Jayne McKay, hosts each screening and takes questions from the audience after the film. “I’ve always felt that Dixon is truly one of the finest American artists who ever painted in the West,” says McKay. “Artists all revere Dixon and credit him as a genius for his understanding of light and his ability to mix colors that are so accurate on canvas.” She will sell copies of the documentary following the screenings.

Art and Spirit chronicles the life and art of Dixon and was written by McKay and Daniel Dixon, the artist’s son. It is narrated by Oscar-winning actress Diane Keaton, herself a collector of Dixon’s work. John McEuen, a founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and a Grammy-award winner, wrote and performed the film’s soundtrack. Singer/songwriter Don Edwards brings Dixon’s own words to life.

Over four hundred of Dixon’s works appear in the documentary, as well as portraits of the artist by photographer Ansel Adams and family photos taken by Dixon’s second wife, documentary photographer Dorothea Lange. Rare audio by Lange also enriches the film. She once said of her husband, “When he was with the cowboys, he was the sophisticated artist; while when he was with the artists, he was a cowboy.”

Two of Dixon’s paintings appear in the Whitney Gallery of Western Art’s online collection here. Click on “Artist,” then Dixon’s name to view.

Start any journey into the American West at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, open daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through September 15. Devoted to western cultural and natural history, the center is comprised of the Buffalo Bill Museum, Whitney Gallery of Western Art, Plains Indian Museum, Cody Firearms Museum, Draper Museum of Natural History, and McCracken Research Library. For general information, visit www.bbhc.org or call 307.587.4771.

New DVD Cover

The new DVD Cover is now available, and we have to thank George Gruel,owner of ODDSTICK STUDIO, for his beautiful design talents. The cover features a Dorothea Lange photo of Maynard Dixon looking out through the clouds of his painting, "Summer Afternoon". The back cover features quotes by Ansel Adams, Thomas McGuane and Bill Cone, Disney/Pixar production designer on the film "Cars". George managed to include the Spur Award Logo at the last minute, and also the film festival laurels from Santa Fe and Puerto Vallarta.

Showing off my Spur award with author Robert W. Larson

On June 14, 2008, I had the pleasure of receiving the Spur award from the Western Writers of America, at their conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. "Maynard Dixon Art and Spirit" was named Best Documentary 2008. It was a perfect evening of music, gracious acceptance speeches, laughter and tears. I met so many talented and generous people, and it was a great honor to have my first film recognized and appreciated by this incredible group of talented people. The only disappointment was that my co-writer, Maynard Dixon's son, Daniel, was unable to attend the banquet, which is why I'm holding two awards! I'm looking forward to delivering the award to him in person sometime soon.

Jayne McKay speaking to the Western Writers of America

Spur award winners, Robert W. Larson, Jayne McKay and poet John Duncklee

Robert W. Larson is retired as Professor of History at the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley. He received the Non-fiction Biography Spur award for Gall: Lakota War Chief. (University of Oklahoma Press) This first-ever scholarly biography focuses on the actions Gall took during his final years on the reservation, unraveling his last fourteen years to better understand his previous forty.
John Dunklee received his Poetry Spur award for "El Corrido de Antonio Beltran" from Open Range: Poetry of the Reimagined West. (Ghost Road Press)