The Las Vegas Strip is about to add a little bit of magic. This May, Magical Memories featuring Disney Fine Art invites everyone from art collectors to young dreamers to voyage through the world of Disney Fine Art at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace with its diverse portfolio of original and limited edition, signed, and numbered fine artworks by some of the world’s most popular artists. Magical Memories is a groundbreaking fine art venue that aims to bring canvas to life with audio/visual special effects that, over time, will include hourly firework shows, custom projections, and a fiber-optic pixie dust-trail entrance. Styled as a 1950’s sound stage from Golden Era of animation and filmmaking, Magical Memories Featuring Disney Fine Art will reconnect a fantastical memory for all, and through opening and beyond, become evermore as animated as its artist’s subjects.
Magical Memories featuring Disney Fine Art is the premier gallery dedicated to Disney Fine Art in the world. Each artist brings a unique interpretation and perspective to beloved scenes and subjects from Walt Disney Studios, Pixar Animation, and The Muppets. The gallery also features a wide selection of new and vintage Disney and other animation studios collectibles and publications, and soon the gallery expects to add a series of sculptures and artisanal furniture. Expect pieces from notable Disney Fine Art artists such as Trevor Carlton, James Coleman, Stephen Fishwick, Manuel Hernandez, Tennessee Loveless, James C. Mulligan, Tim Rogerson, Michelle St. Laurent, Jim Salvati, as well as Disney Legends Peter Ellenshaw and Paige O’Hara.
Like a storyboard brought to life, special effects and programmed sequences will be added and activated throughout the gallery’s opening phase, and the final viewing experience will be transcendent. Imagine showing interest in a pirate-themed print, when suddenly a battle sequence begins to play out over coordinated screens above. Cannons and music boom intermitted from the four omnidirectional speakers in the corners of the room, each carefully orchestrated to transport the viewer into the scene as it travels throughout the gallery. The experience will be completely immersive – the only element missing is actually shaking hands with the captain. In another transformative twist, this screen and sound interplay will morph into a firework and art-filled show on the hour to the delight of anyone and everyone.
The experience is tangible too. Modeled after a sound stage, the gallery space hosts mid century furniture, vintage props, and a private viewing room styled after a film executive’s office, featuring a digital screen that functions as a window overlooking a studio lot when not displaying artwork from Magical Memories stable of officially contracted artists. Special events at the gallery will enlist a cast of characters, including a rotating selection of featured artists and talent from the film animation realm. A custom recreation of a classic Animator’s desk will be activated for artist visits. This surreal venue was developed by Second Star Group, a worldwide innovator in major entertainment design, and John Ramirez, a Disney animator with three decades of design experience.
For art lovers, wide-eyed children, and everyone in between, Magical Memories takes the art gallery experience to enchanted realms. Fortunately, there’s no theme park line to enjoy this spectacle.