Presentation: OPUS (N)ONE

Saturday, 12/26/2026
2:00 - 3:00

Suitable for:

Adults
Teens

Explore the fascinating world of OPUS ONE (1966 - late 1990s), a groundbreaking record label that fused visionary music with dazzling, black-light-reactive album art, in this multimedia presentation.

In 1966, a frustrated composer in the Maine woods founded a record label to release experimental, electronic, and other independently-minded records with psychedelic fluorescent covers, in small pressings practically guaranteed to lose money. Somehow the label survived for forty years, putting out hundreds of crucial recordings by unique artists such as Frederic Rzewski, the Blackearth Percussion Group, Ruth Norman, Bulent Arel, Peter Garland and Barre Phillips.

OPUS (N)ONE is an audiovisual performance reclaiming the importance of this label (named Opus One) through audio samples of some of its sonic highlights and eye-popping presentation of its blacklight-friendly covers, stickers and inserts, augmented by a personal narration by a city slicker whose voyage to a rural and remote corner of the country reconfigured his understanding of how avant-garde communities can survive in a hostile landscape.

Brian Darr worked part-time at SFPL for 10 years before moving into the academic library sphere, first at City College of San Francisco and, since moving to Maine in 2021, Thomas College and Bowdoin College. He has written on media history for outlets such as Senses of Cinema, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, SFGate, Screen Slate, and The Maine Playweek. He's performed several audiovisual presentations at San Francisco's Other Cinema showcase, including WRONG NUMBERS (2019) and RED DELICIOUS (2018) on blacklisted filmmakers Abraham Polonsky and Jules Dassin.

Kerry Laitala, originally from Brunswick, Maine, returned to her home state after a career as an award-winning experimental filmmaker and projector-performance practitioner and teacher at the San Francisco Art Institute. She's currently working on several film projects.

Intergenerational

Film & Video

Watch party and film discussions.

Dance & Music

Enjoy performances, talks and workshops that celebrate movement and the musical arts.

Spotlight

This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.

Attending Programs

All programs are drop-in (no registration necessary) unless otherwise noted. All SFPL locations are wheelchair accessible. For accommodations (such as ASL), call (415) 557-4557 or contact accessibility@sfpl.org. Requesting at least 3 business days in advance will help ensure availability.

This program will be conducted in English unless otherwise noted.

Notice: This event may be filmed or photographed. By participating in this event, you consent to have your likeness used for the Library’s archival purposes and promotional materials. If you do not want to be photographed, please inform a staff person or the photographer. A sticker will be provided to help identify you so that we can avoid capturing your image.

Public Notice and Disclaimer

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The views and opinions expressed in programs presented by groups unaffiliated with SFPL do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SFPL or the City.