About
Inspired by James Cameron’s Avatar, artists Megan McKeithan of Visionary Mural Co. and Kass Wilson of Wallstreat Studio created this fantasy movie set with partners Malone Design/Fabrication, LABS Inc. Permanent Botanicals, Upholstery House & Plus, and Suburbanite Photography for The Next Cool Thing Event.
The Next Cool Thing was the brainchild of Barbara English of To The Trade Only. Originally intended to serve as a networking vehicle to introduce the emerging film and television industry to the vast creative resources here in Georgia, the event expanded to become one of Atlanta’s most celebrated arts and design events known for bringing together the city’s best creative talents.
The concept: take 90,000 square feet of empty real estate and produce exhibits inspired by movie themes. This required the collaboration of hundreds of artists, artisans, craftsmen, and designers. Along the way numerous teams recruited artists Kass Wilson and Megan McKeithan for help in creating special painted effects. But then inspiration took over: “We should do Avatar!” cried Megan, and the journey began.
Nothing speaks more of creative artistry than James Cameron’s Avatar. Rather than copy the mega-blockbuster movie, they decided to develop a complete environment of two and three-dimensional artwork inspired by Avatar and set about creating an “Avatarization” of Atlanta, now known as “Avatlanta”…
THE TEAM:
Realizing they needed creative partners of varying specialties to create this complete environment, Megan and Kass recruited collaborators both outstanding in their craft and proven in their fields. They knew they needed innovative minds willing to put in long hours to achieve a presentation of Avatlanta that would make them proud.
Fortunately, the event coordinator introduced them to Andy Schwartz of LABS Inc. Permanent Botanicals. Andy’s beautiful silk plants and florals and custom natural trunk trees were the perfect three-dimensional elements to start the complete environment.
Megan’s colleague Frank Yoculan, of Malone Design/Fabrication, a well-known artist, sculptor, and scenic designer for this nationwide museum exhibit and custom commercial interior fabrication company, was the perfect partner. Along with Account Executive Geoff Markiton, Frank and his team could design and create the three-dimensional environment with any fantasy elements necessary.
Kass’s colleague, Rafael Fernandez, of Upholstery House & Plus, already had plenty of experience creating custom furniture for movie and television sets. His expertise in design, upholstery and fabrics made him the perfect team member to help create the Avatlanta environment.
Megan knew that once the team created this wonderful fantasy environment they would need a seasoned event photographer to shoot all the visitors to the exhibit. Suburbanite Photography’s Angie Watson showcased a beautiful portfolio of weddings, events and portraiture, and was just the person for the job.
Click here to continue to The AVATLANTA Plan.