Just returned to Seattle from the
opening reception of the
Harry Potter Tribute Exhibition at
Gallery Nucleus near Los Angeles and it was nothing short of magical! Ben Zhu and Linda Chi (the gallery curators) did an AMAZING job conjuring the event. A seemingly endless line of muggles, squibs and wizards ebbed and flowed around several blocks of parking space; eagerly awaiting admittance into the wizarding world.
The shear number of people that "apparated" there was overwhelming! Regardless, the folks at Nucleus made sure everyone got sorted into their proper houses, courtesy of the sorting hat itself. One of the most exciting aspects were the fan-made costumes! There were lots of impressive impersonations of
almost every HP character conceivable...including Dobby, Professor Umbridge, Snitches (yes, snitches...creatively done too), Lupin, Tonks, Deatheaters and even Crookshanks! Such wondrous works of transfiguration were a spectacle in itself. As a hardcore fan...I err...shamelessly dressed up too.
Waiting in line was time-consuming, but it was definitely worth every minute. After 2 hours of waiting, day became night and we were still nowhere near the entrance of the line. Turns out that I was just stupid and failed to realize that contributing artists receive instant VIP access along with their attendees. Thanks to one of my cousin's recommendations, I finally walked around the block to the gallery, showed my ID, and then we were in--as quick as a flick of the wand.
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| Upon entry to the gallery, everyone received a Deatheater tattoo stamped/marked on their arm! |
Upon entering the gallery, we each got marked with the Deatheater tattoo along our arm. Each visitor was also given a free
button with well-known phrases from the Potter world. Voldermort's
domineering presence was the first to greet us.
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| Care to test your luck with some of Bertie Bott's Every Flaver Jelly Beans? My cousins, Katrina, Michelle and Don dove for it. Bloodworm and earswax! You can see how much they enjoyed them based on their priceless facial expressions. |
To sum up the whole experience, it was simply phenomenal. I'd like to to extend a special thanks to all of my relatives who were able to attend.
This is the first time I stepped up and revealed my passion for art to the family, so your support is deeply appreciated (beyond words)!
All of the artwork was intriguing and brilliantly rendered in their own way. Viewing all of the pieces was the epitome of the show itself. To give you a glimpse of a few masterpieces, here are a few that have a fond place in my heart:
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Introduction to the Owlry by Brittney
Lee, whom I received the fortunate opportunity to meet.
Her paper cut-out art is beautifully intricate and alluring.
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Too many pieces in this photo to list the name of each one,
but these were beautifully painted by Mary
Grandpe. You might recognize her artwork from the original
illustrations of the American-published versions of the Harry Potter books! |
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Freaks by Anthony
Wu. An enchanting, raw depiction of Luna Lovegood approaching a
Thestral.
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| My lovely aunt, Minh posing next to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by Drew Struzan. |
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| Who wants to go back to the past with your very own time turner? Now's your chance! |
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| My cousin, Katrina sporting her new pair of "Luna Lovegood" glasses! |
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| To end the night, we all celebrated with some butterbeer. |
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CONQUERING THE PAST
