The Disney Gallery
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The Disney Gallery is an attraction and merchandise location at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It opened on July 11, 1987. Located above Pirates of the Caribbean in New Orleans Square, the Gallery is a changing exhibition area focused primarily on artwork from Walt Disney Imagineering in regards to designing the Disneyland theme park. The Gallery was originally intended to be a private suite for Walt Disney and his brother, Roy O. Disney. Merchandise relating to the current exhibition is available for purchase as well.
[edit] History
[edit] The Royal Suite
In the early 1960s, as construction of New Orleans Square was proceeding, Walt Disney decided he needed a bigger entertaining facility for various VIPs that came to the Park. He already had an apartment above the Fire Station on Main Street, U.S.A., but it was too small to host any real events. Walt decided to place his new suite in New Orleans Square, away from the hustle and bustle of the Park.
Walt brought in set designer Dorothea Redmond, famous for the sets in Gone with the Wind, to help him with the apartment layout. To furnish and decorate the area, Walt left his wife Lilly and Walt Disney Studio set decorator Emile Kuri collaborate on the décor, as they had on other projects (Club 33, the Firehouse Apartment, etc.).
Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966. As a consequence, many projects at Walt Disney Productions were either put on hold or abandoned. The Royal Suite was abandoned at the request of the surviving brother, Roy. He felt that the family could not really enjoy the apartment with Walt gone. Everything was in place when Walt died except the furniture. The Suite was never meant to be.
[edit] New tenants
A few years later, the Insurance Company of North America (INA) took over the location. It served as a "Hopsitality Suite" for company clients during their day at the Park. They wanted to use it as an extension of their Carefree Corner on Main Street.
After INA moved out, Disneyland International moved in, using the space as executive offices. DLI also used the space to help plan Tokyo Disneyland with the Oriental Land Company. There was even a large scale model of the Park placed in one of the rooms so the Japanese could physically see the layout of their new park.
[edit] Tony's spark
DLI moved out in the mid-1980s, when they outgrew their headquarters. The space was left with an uncertain future. At the same time, Imagineer Tony Baxter was thinking of ways to improve traffic around Pirates of the Caribbean. The queue for Pirates would get so long that it would block the walkway into New Orleans Square.
Baxter finally decided on the current configuration, with the queue going underneath a footbridge, thereby freeing the walkway. He then set his sights on Walt's old Royal Suite just above the queue. He designed a pair of ornamental staircases that would "hug" the footbridge and frame the building. Baxter had thought that a beautiful place like the Suite was going to waste not being seen by guests.
Baxter then asked new Walt Disney Company President and COO Frank Wells what the plans were for the upstairs area. Wells said that Club 33 was vying for the space to add more membership slots. Baxter came to Wells with the idea for an art gallery open to park guests. The Imagineers had always wanted a place to display their artwork for the theme parks, which were largely unseen by the public. The Disney Gallery was born.
[edit] Exhibition history
[edit] The Art of Disneyland (1987-1997)
This exhibit opened with the Gallery in 1987. It featured art and scale models of various attractions from the history of Disneyland. Its most famous piece was the original scale model of Sleeping Beauty Castle in the front room. Over the years, art came and went to freshen things up and showcase the newest Disneyland attractions. The last "new" attraction to display concept art was the Indiana Jones Adventure.
During the exhibition, one room was changed to a sub-exhibit called "The Disneyland That Never Was". This area displayed concepts for attractions and shows that never got off the drawing board, such as Dumbo's Circus and Discovery Bay.
[edit] Tomorrowland: Imagining the Future 1955-1998 (1997-2000)
For the Gallery's 10th anniversary, a new exhibit displayed concepts for Disneyland's different interpretations of the future. This exhibit also tied into the 1998 redo of the Tomorrowland area as a way to get guests excited about it. The exhibit was separated into three distinct areas. The first room was a look into the "Atomic Age" Tomorrowland (1955-1966).
Another room displayed the "World on the Move" Tomorrowland (1967-1997). The most famous piece from this room was an accurate scale model of the track for Space Mountain. Guests spent hours looking at the track, not believeing that it was laid out exactly like the model.
The last room displayed art for the then-upcoming "Imagination and Beyond" Tomorrowland (1998-Present). It also displayed art from abandoned concepts for the New Tomorrowland theme "Tomorrowland 2055". In later years, after the New Tomorrowland opened, art was displayed for the redo of the Autopia in 2000.
[edit] A Brush with Disney: The Art of Herbert Ryman (2000-2002)
For the very first time, the Gallery's exhibit focused on one particular Imagineering artist: Herbert Dickens Ryman. Ryman was responsible for the drawing of Disneyland Park Roy O. Disney used to get monetary backing for the project, among other things. Ryman also worked at the animation department, and on Walt's Florida Project. This exhibit reflected his life as an artist, both in and outside of Disney.
One of the exhibit rooms was devoted to the Ryman-Carroll Foundation for Young Artists. This foundation, started by Ryman's sister, Lucille, funds the dreams of young, talented artists. Most of the paintings that were displayed in the room were done by young Ryman-Carroll artists.
[edit] 100 Mickeys (2002)
To celebrate Walt Disney's 100th birthday, Eric Robison was commissioned by Disneyland to create 100 unique portraits of Mickey Mouse, Walt's most popular creation. Robison was a former Imagineer and a merchandising favorite at Disneyland. All the paintings were done on different media: canvas, cardboard boxes, napkins, and others.
This exhibit also marked the debut of the Gallery's art on demand system. Guests could pick which Mickey painting they liked and have it reprinted on paper or canvas. The system was, and still is, extremely popular, and cost-effective. Disneyland management could even change the pictures being offered to coincide with the next exhibit.
[edit] Haunted Mansion Holiday (2002-2003)
For the winter season of 2002, the Disney Gallery displayed art from the park's very popular holiday overlay of the Haunted Mansion, Haunted Mansion Holiday. The exhibit also featured concept art for the original Haunted Mansion. Concept art from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, the film which the holiday overlay was based on, was featured prominently in another room.
[edit] A Pirate's Life for Me (2003)
This exhibit showcased concept artwork from the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction and its many details and stories. Marc Davis' concept art was all over the Gallery, as were maquettes created by Imagineering master sculptor Blaine Gibson. In fact, several busts of the pirates Gibson created were on display as well.
In addition to the attraction artwork, one of the rooms showcased exclusive artwork and props from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, the 2003 film that was based on the attraction. Some notable items included both Elizabeth Swann and Captain Jack Sparrow's costumes, one of the Aztec gold pieces, and Sparrow's compass.
[edit] Frights, Camera, Action! The Haunted Mansion Goes Hollywood (2003-2005)
Based on the success of the Pirates exhibit, and film, Disney stretched the synergy machine again for the next exhibition. This display again featured concepts from the Disneyland Haunted Mansion. But it also displayed concepts from the 2003 film, The Haunted Mansion, again based on the attraction.
Although the film did not fare as well as Pirates, the art was a huge draw for guests. And added bonus was artwork from the other Haunted Mansions in the other Disney theme parks. It was intended to show how all the Mansions influenced the one in the film.
[edit] Disneyland - A Magical Canvas: 50 Artists Celebrate 50 Years (2005-Present)
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Disneyland, the Gallery now showcases artwork from Disneyland exclusively. This exhibit is similar to the first, Art of Disneyland. Each region of the park is represented. What is different, however, is that the art displayed is only from 50 Imagineering artists; artists have multiple pieces throughout. The artists were selected by Walt Disney Imagineering because of their creative impact on the park.
In July of 2006, the front room of this exhibit changed to display artwork from Pirates of the Caribbean, both the attraction and the films. It was done to capitalize on the certain success of the second Pirates film, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest; the new displays include props and costumes from the film. Numerous pieces also reflect the revamped scenes from the Pirates attraction which include Captain Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa.
