Step into the life and work of Art Clokey, creator of Gumby and grandfather of stop-motion animation, and explore through this documentary why a man would spend his 85 years on earth playing with lumps of colored clay. His world famous characters, Gumby and Pokey, and Davy and Goliath, echo the spiritual path of their creator. Art's journey takes us from the orphanage to inspiring adopted father, from the Seminary to the Hollywood movie business, and from traditional Episcopalian church values to Buddhism and Indian guru Sai Baba. It is a fascinating life and career in it's own right but also in how it gently influenced his characters and story lines for over 40 years. Clokey's work is one of the few animation characters that have survived the test of time to become a true American Icon.

Interviews with contemporary leaders in animation, including Director Henry Selick (Coraline, Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach) and special effects legend Ray Harryhausen (Jason and the Argonauts, Adventures of Sinbad), place Clokey's work in perspective with the history of animation and explore stop motion's future in a computer graphics world.

The evening will be a tribute to Art Clokey who recently passed away. The event will include the screening of the hour long Emmy Award winning documentary film Gumby Dharma by Robina Marchesi, Klara Grunning-Harris and Tim Hittle, followed by a panel discussion with local creators, artists and stop-motion animation industry people.

J.Kleinberg who wrote the score for GUMBY DHARMA will perform live as part of the show. Kleinberg is a San Francisco violinist and songwriter who performs as a solo artist and with Diego’s Umbrella across the U.S., Europe and Japan. He’s also recorded and played with local San Francisco bands such as The Pine Box Boys, Sonny Smith, Paula Frazier and Beulah.

"An insightful glimpse into the personal and spiritual life of an influential career of a great artist and filmmaker." - The Senteniel-Record

"Art Clokey taps into something primal, deep within everyone's psyche and unconscious through his style...it is a message of love, really." - SF Weekly

Details at www.gumbydharma.com.