Trash is coming to the the Academy Awards Museum, located at 6067 Wilshire Blvd. The motion pictures museum dedicated to the art and science of movies will feature an installation called John Waters: Pope of Trash, dedicated to the writer-director-producer-cinematographer-editor-actor, as well as accomplished visual artist and author.
Novelist William S. Burroughs anointed Waters as the “Pope of Trash” crediting him for his daring dismissal of social norms and the status quo. Waters has been celebrated and adored by audiences for more than 50 years. His transgressive approach has spawned paragons of cinematic originality—movies that revel in irreverence, laugh-out-loud humor, and heart, such as Pink Flamingos (1972), Female Trouble (1974), Desperate Living (1977), Hairspray (1988), Serial Mom (1994), and A Dirty Shame (2004). This exhibition reveals the nuances of independent filmmaking and the ways in which Waters’s movies have redefined the possibilities of independent cinema.
A statement by The Academy of Motion Pictures announces the the exhibit “John Waters: Pope of Trash” will open on September 17, 2023 and run until August 4, 2024.
The Baltimore native will also get a star with his name on it on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Waters was selected by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to be inducted this year, which will coincide with the exhibit.
John Waters: Pope of Trash is organized by Exhibitions Curator Jenny He and Associate Curator Dara Jaffe, with the support of Curatorial Assistant Esme Douglas and Research Assistants Manouchka Kelly Labouba and Emily Rauber Rodriguez.
It will near the Warner Bros gallery which features a media installation surveying works from the American avant-garde and New Queer Cinema.
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is the world’s premier institution dedicated to the art and science of movies. Global in outlook and grounded in the unparalleled collections and expertise of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy Museum offers unparalleled exhibitions and programs illuminating the fascinating world of cinema. They are immersive and dynamic and tell the many stories of the movies—their art, technology, artists, history, and social impact—through a variety of diverse and engaging voices. The Academy Museum tells complete stories of moviemaking—celebratory, educational, and sometimes critical or uncomfortable.
Very disappointed in the overall exhibits at the Academy Museum. With all the vast wealth of film history in this city, the exhibits do not highlight the greatest contribution to film…and their attendance record supports that. This exhibit is going to do nothing to improve the situation.
Sept of ‘23? I’m glad they’re doing it but isn’t this rather advance notice?
The Academy Museum is not ADA compliant. They provide no accommodation for visually impaired visitors. Shame on them.