Here's some fun gallery news! On Monday, director Rich Brauer and his crew filmed the opening scene for his upcoming film, "Mr. Art Critic." He approached me about a month ago, looking for a location that could pass for a hip Chicago art gallery (major compliment) and we were thrilled to oblige.Actor Bronson Pinchot plays the role of M.J. Clayton, a high-profile art critic. Known for his heartless, mean-spirited reviews, he makes an impulsive statement that any idiot can make art, and sets out to prove it. Quickly realizing that it is infinitely more difficult than he perceived, he quietly purchases a beautiful painting from a talented artist, and submits it as his own entry into an art exhibition while vacationing at his summer home on Mackinac Island. The real truth is ultimately revealed, resulting in a dramatic shift from arrogance to humility... discovering the hard way that the ability to create art is indeed a gift.
I witnessed the movie-making magic from only feet away and it was a real education! There were about 15 crew in intimate proximity to the actors and an amazing amount of lighting, sound and film equipment. Took nearly five hours to film about two minutes of content.
Rich plans to premier the movie in late November of this year. Hopefully, it will get widely distributed and everyone will want to track down the beautiful paintings featured. By the way, they belong to local artist Amy LeJeune Harper. She recently here moved from Chicago where the city was a main focus of her abstract aerial landscapes.
Above: Director Rich Brauer and actor Bronson Pinchot figuring out how to work together. Below: Closing the gallery was a small price to pay for a snapshot with Bronson! (Yes, you recognize him as Balki from the sitcom "Perfect Strangers.")
