Mark your Calendars! March 21st, CEL-EBRATION! Animation Gallery is hosting a Very Special Signing Event with Special Guests, Kent Melton and Tony Cipriano!Kent Melton was drawing since the age of one. An artist of natural talent, he grew up in rural Southern Missouri, drawing anything that inspired him from magazines and television shows. Not surprisingly, one of his favorite childhood television shows was The Wonderful World of Disney.
Pursuing his art interests, Mr. Melton moved to California, working on projects for live-action films. It was then he was called upon by the Walt Disney Company to sculpt animation character models (maquettes) for the feature animated film Aladdin. From that moment on, Mr. Melton has made countless maquette sculptures, entrusted by the animators in bringing their two-dimensional drawings into a three-dimensional world.
In 1992, his reputation as a great character sculptor had spread across the Walt Disney Company. It was then that the Walt Disney Classics Collection (WDCC) of porcelain-based sculptures was starting up. They recruited Mr. Melton to be a sculptor for the collection, of which Mr. Melton has become a key member of that team. If you've seen the Walt Disney Classics Collection, then you've seen the work of sculptor Kent Melton. Kent has sculpted more than half of all WDCC sculptures produced to date -- including many collector favorites!
Right out of college, Tony Cipriano secured a position with Walt Disney Feature Animation in Orlando, FL contributing his many skills as an animation 'clean up' and 'rough inbetweener.'
Intrigued by the sculptural work of Disney artists Kent Melton and Ruben Procopio, Tony began sculpting and created several maquettes for Walt Disney feature animated films, including Mulan, Tarzan and Brother Bear. Tony left animation in 1997 to pursue a full-time sculpting career.
In 2007, the Walt Disney Classics Collection released the Festival of Fools Scene from The Hunchback of Notre Dame which consisted of Quasimodo, Esmerelda and Clopin. This special signing event reunites the two sculptors behind this amazing grouping. Esmerelda was sculpted by Kent Melton and Quasimodo and Clopin by Tony Cipriano.
For a complete listing of each of their Walt Disney Classics Collection releases please visit Kent's Sculptor Listing Page and Tony's Sculptor Listing Page.
Event Information
CEL-EBRATION! Gallery
30 Monmouth Street
Red Bank, NJ 07701
2:00-3:00pm Collectors 3D Forum at the Count Basie Theatre Patrons Lounge. Seating is limited, so RSVP's are a must!
3:00-5:00pm Meet and Great at CEL-EBRATION! Gallery.
To RSVP for the event, please call (732) 842-8489. CEL-EBRATION! Gallery is located at 30 Monmouth Street in Red Bank, NJ. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 11:00am-5:00pm. For additional information, please visit their website at http://www.cel-ebration.com/.
problem with the forum at 2. The e-mail from pam said they were currently over capacity... I've never been in the theater but i think the area we have is small. Cant wait for Saturday though and meet some other collectors!
ReplyDeleteoh! also, the place is kinda on monmouth street but not.... its right next to the Dublin house bar and restaurant (on monmouth street) on the side alley. Free parking in the lot behind the dublin house. look down the side alley's for the bright blue, cant miss it that way, otherwise you may get lost.
ReplyDelete***Heavy Sigh....
ReplyDeleteI so wanted to go but not this time. Please share all the details as I will be most anxious to hear all about it!
Have a great time!
Congratulations to Celebrations on their 25th Anniversary.
ReplyDeleteWe, too, are sorry we can't make it this time. We know it will be a very fun filled event with Kent, Tony and all of our Disney friends.
We will be there in spirit!
We wish everyone safe travels to and from, and look forward to hearing all about the weekend.
I'll echo the congrats on Cel-ebrations's anniversary; should be a great time with the forum and having two sculptors on hand. Wish I could be there, but unfortunately, no where close to being in the neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteDon, I see Cel-ebration is also talking you up as being one of the featured guests. So, will you be participating in the forum talk?
Reading the blog entry about Tony, hope we get to see him revisit Brother Bear in the WDCC someday. Would like to see Rutt & Tuke along with a new Kenai and possibly Koda as well depending on the scene.
Jason, I'll bring up Rutt and Tuke. I really don't want another Kenai or Koda right now. Koda already in the collection twice. Would rather get the human Kenai.
ReplyDeleteim so excited. this will be my first event... i dont even know what to ask! lol I'm often very shy to begin with... anyway anyone know others who are going to the event?
ReplyDeleteJehna, thanks for the info on parking. That will definitely be a help in navigating around the streets! See u Saturday.
ReplyDeleteyep no problem! i couldn't find it easily my first time... should be fun! there are other lots around i was informed of equal distance from both places. also was corrected. plenty of room for q&a so should be fun soo excited!
ReplyDeleteSo for those you that attended yesterday, please share. I'd love to hear all the details. I'm sure Pam and Nancy did a GREAT job.
ReplyDeleteIt was a really busy time for lack of a better word. The store was too small for all who attended. Very big turnout. Kent and Tony are both so funny. Don gave many laughs as well. It was really great to be there.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. I figured it would be busting at the seams!
ReplyDeleteHi Geoffrey,
ReplyDeleteHad a great time! A really nice turnout, a lot of people as Jehna mentioned. Got back home last night. The time went way TOO fast!
Should have a recap of the event/weekend (hopefully) some point today.
Jehna, sorry I didn't get a chance too meet you.
heh its okay, i think my boyfriend made a statement for everyone to know who i was... he talked about the wanting to make stuff out of wood, also i got to sit next to tony's wife at the panel discussion. I absolutely loved the pieces kent and tony brought to the panel SO cool. Hopefully next event everyone goes to around the NE will be less hectic. lol.
ReplyDeleteJehna,
ReplyDeleteMissed you also.
I know who your boyfriend is now, but cannot picture you.
Did you happen to get a Mulan and Father signed?
I helped someone pack up Mulan and her Father.
haha yeaa that was me.... freaking out because i was doing way too many things at once. My mulan came out of pam and nancy's cabinets thats why i didnt know how to pack it. :) Thanks SO much for your help!
ReplyDeleteWell now at least I can say I met you, unofficially!!
ReplyDelete