Simon and Herta Moselsio were two of Bennington College’s most admired art instructors, serving from 1933 to 1960. They were extremely diverse artists. In addition to their better known sculpture and ceramic arts, they also experimented with photography, including both still and moving pictures. In keeping with their role as art educators, many of their films were highly didactic, showing both themselves and other artists at work in their studios. These films include rare footage of famous European artists, such as the Cubist painter Georges Braque and the modernist sculptor Jacques Lipchitz, in their studios. In some cases, the Moselsios’ work is the only known moving picture record of these artists, providing unique insight into their life.

A highlight of the Moselsio motion picture event will be a screening of a 1943 film depicting Martha Graham’s dance “Lamentation.” Constantly searching for the most effective means to convey the essence of their subject, the Moselsios succeeded by capturing Graham’s bold, moving artistry on 16 mm film. With an introduction by John Martin, dance critic of the New York Times, and a musical accompaniment by Louis Horst, this “motion picture study” of Graham is one of the Moselsios’ most “artistic” films. Graham taught at Bennington College’s renowned dance program in the late 1930s, and was a true pioneer of modern dance.