Post #565567 by Tiki Shark Art on Thu, Nov 18, 2010 12:08 AM

Aloha Tiki Tribe!
Well, big news. Parker Art Souvenirs!

Just back from Maui...
We (me and my partner in crime Abbas) been hunting around to find out which of the big Hawaii tourist /gift manufacturing companies would be the right people to partner up with ...IF I was going to put my art on tourist -gift -souvenir stuff.

First off, I wasn't even sure if I should. I thought maybe the artzy-fartzy galleries in the "ART WORLD" would not take my art seriously if I was available to everyone in calenders, cards, refrigerator magnets, stickers, luggage tags...all that stuff. Stuff anyone could buy, and not just originals and high end giclees. The originals are selling, The giclees are selling. Would I screw up a good thing?

Then, I thought about how I first discovered SHAG. It was a sticker. How did I first discover Frazetta? It was a calendar. How will anyone out in the regular world (who's not reading Hi Fructose or surfing Tiki Central) know about my art if they can't find it?

...and lots of really great Tiki Tribe folks have told me they just cannot afford the coconuts for high end art... especially right now. I didn't want my art only owned by rich folks. Our Tiki Tribe is born of from hunting through thrift shops for tiki mugs, and yard sales for Martin Denny records.

I also talked to the curator at "La Luz de Jesus" Gallery, Mattt Kennedy, about it. La Luz has been very helpful in promoting my art, and I respect Billy Shire and Matt's knowledge of the art scene. Basically, his wise words set me off on the lava rock road to see the souvenir wizard.

So... with the invaluable help of my agent/business partner Abbas, (he's the business end of the stick and I'm the wet paint covered art end) we talked to every distributor out here. Almost sealed the deal a a few times... but... things would go wrong. My art is not like the tourist art that sells in Hawaii. It's not dolphins. It's not whales. It... well you know what it is. And it scares the stores and galleries to try anything new or different.

However, we have finally found the right company. Pacifica Island Art. The owners are two dudes with a lot of aloha - who've been on Maui 20 years loving and living and making and selling products that are all about the Hawaiiana-vintage vibe.

This trip to Maui was to seal the deal!

This is a "Mock up" calender they showed us- not the real deal, yet. But we are so close now!

Right now, a little push might get things going even better... Tiki Tribe... if ya got a spare minute... if ya been hankering for Parker art at a price that won't drain your kalua-piggy bank... please, feel free to contact the fine folks at Pacifica Island Art and ask them which products might feature Brad Parker Art, and when they will be up for public consumption (at reasonable prices!)
http://www.islandartstore.com
The more they know there is a real part of the market of Hawaiian Art lovers out there that would groove on my strange "Poly-pop surrealistic" art, the faster we can get more stuff out in the world!
I can't wait to see my stuff in an ABC store, and I think there's a few of you out there that might dig that too.

Big Mahalo!