Hooray for Hollywood

Vaughn McMillan

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Or Hollyweird, as many of us locals call it. :p

I spent the day today helping my neighbor Perry do an art installation at the Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood (roughly at Sunset and Vine). The Arclight multiplex is adjacent to the Cinerama Dome, a Hollywood landmark since the '60s. The Arclight is one of those hoity-toity $20/seat movie houses that plays a mix of current blockbusters and little-known art films. There's a nice restaurant on the premises (if you like $10 hamburgers), and some of the nighttime screenings even have bar service in the theater.

Anyway, they've got customer lobbies on each of three levels, and each lobby has gallery-quality art on display, either photos, paintings, or prints. They change out the art every month, and Perry is the guy the theater hires to install and de-install each exhibit. (Actually, the artists have to pay for his services, but the theater requires the artists to use him, since he's insured and bonded.) I've helped Perry a couple of times when he was short-handed, and today was one of those days. The work's actually pretty easy, just hanging a few dozen pictures using a commercial-quality cable and clamp system. I meant to get some pics of the installations we did today, but completely forgot to do it.

Perry has long been a fan of my work (he's even bought one of my most expensive bowls and a fancy flatwork box), and today he suggested that I consider displaying high-end photographs of my turned pieces at the theater. The lobby spaces aren't really set up to display 3-D artwork, but he said perhaps something like one or two pieces on pedestals (under acrylic cases for protection) could be squeezed in among the photographs. He said if the photos were done right, they could be considered sell-able artwork themselves. (He was thinking the photos could be taken in a variety of natural (and unnatural) locations, like in a field, or floating on water. Then again, this is the guy who took photos of a horses hindquarters a couple years ago and called it "art".) :rolleyes: And as a bonus I could offer the pieces in the photos for sale as well, of course. He's got an Epson large format photo printer, so getting the prints made would only cost me for the paper and the ink. I'd also have to get them framed (or do it myself.) He's been working with the Arclight for years, so he knows the management and the curator well, and he seems to think he could sell them on the idea as well. I asked him how much the theater charges the artists, and he said they only have to pay for the installation and de-installation. And since he's the guy who does it, I could likely work out a decent price. ;) (I told him I figured I could find someone who could hang a few pictures cheap...heck, I've even got the nails already.) ::D He said the theater has over 220,000 people go through the lobbies every year, so a month of exposure could mean 15,000 or more people would potentially see the displays.

Other than a failed attempt a couple years ago to sell photo calendars showing my work, I've not really considered making photos of my turned pieces to sell as "artwork". Not sure if it's really a workable idea, but it's got that single worn-out gear in my brain clanking away right now. ;)

BTW, the prices on the pieces we hung today -- portrait and landscape photos, plus some 4' x 6' silkscreen prints on canvas -- were between $600 and $2200.
 
I'd say go for it! Especially if you can barter for the installation/deinstallation. Sounds like a win/win/win deal for everyone involved! :thumb: :thumb:
 
do it vaughn any time you can show off you work to potential customers is good..this may be pictures but the folks are gonna ask someone who made that sometime and then you can get a referral from the pic as well:thumb:
 
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