Lulu Newsletter Author Profile - July 2005
Kristopher Barks (http://www.lulu.com/natemcclain) is
the curator of the Nathan McClain Gallery.
This inspiring community-based website preserves and promotes the legacy of
artist Nathan McClain, who died tragically in 1997 at the age of 24. Barks has
also published a book of McClain’s art, FEEL the Emotion (http://www.lulu.com/content/132939),
to help support for the non-profit gallery.
1. How did you become
involved in the Nathan McClain gallery?
Nathan McClain (1973 - 1997)
was my best friend of 20 years and a naturally gifted artist. We grew up across
the street from each other and I witnessed his artistic talent develop from age
4 until his tragic death at age 24. Nate had a large circle of friends who loved
his imaginative artwork and we all knew he was destined for greatness. After
Nate's death, many of his friends went their separate ways while others bonded
closer together. There was a noticeable void left after Nathan
died.
Shortly after Nate's funeral in 1997, I shared in a vision of an
online gallery for Nathan's artwork in which everyone wanted to contribute and
participate. Coping with his death was extremely hard for me since he was like a
brother and he happened to have died on my 25th birthday; consequently, I
abandoned the gallery concept for over five years. Fast-forward to 2003 -
websites are commonplace, digital cameras are affordable, and I had emotionally
healed - it was finally time to create Nathan's gallery site to inform people
about his artwork and life.
On August 6, 2003, the Nathan McClain Gallery
(www.natemcclain.com) opened to the public and commemorated what would have been
Nathan's 30th birthday. My involvement with this nonprofit Gallery includes
being the Director, Curator, Webmaster, Content Editor, and everything else. The
Gallery is community centered so people can be both audience and participant so
they have a meaningful online experience. Visitors can comment on the artwork,
share a story about Nathan, or make a purchase to fund the Gallery. The Gallery
started with six pieces of Nathan's artwork from my personal collection and has
expanded to over 75 pieces generously donated by family and
friends.
2. What's your favorite season: autumn, summer, winter,
or spring?
Spring since it is warmer than winter, cooler than summer,
and everything comes back to life.
3. Why did you decide to make
the Nathan McClain gallery an online experience, instead of building a gallery
in the "real world"?
There was no decision to be made on this one.
The Nathan McClain Gallery can only exist online since McClain's entire body of
artwork is privately owned and highly prized by those who own the pieces. The
Gallery is a 100% virtual experience with the permanent collection consisting of
digital photos of McClain's physical artwork. There are many advantages to being
a virtual Gallery - no brick & mortar overhead, no art insurance concerns,
and no environmental damage to the artwork. Since the Gallery is online,
visitors can view McClain's artwork leisurely on their own timeframe without
being restricted to set viewing hours. These factors are what make the Nathan
McClain Gallery shatter the traditional view of an art gallery.
4.
Is the virtual gallery working well? Do you think you'd like to build a
traditional gallery or host a real world art show sometime in the
future?
The popularity of the Nathan McClain Gallery is exceeding
expectations! Since opening, the Gallery has welcomed more than 70,000 visitors
from all over the world in just under two years. Everyone who visits the Gallery
is blown away by McClain's artwork and life story. In the fall of 2004, the
Gallery mobilized its virtual community into a grassroots fundraising effort to
save a massive 16 foot x 8 foot mural from demolition. The mural was painted by
McClain in 1997 and was successfully relocated to Coolidge Middle School where
Nathan attended in his youth.
Opening a traditional gallery is not one of
the goals at the moment. Interesting that you should ask about a real world art
show. This past June, the Gallery hosted a one-day “FEEL the Emotion” event to
dedicate the saved mural at Coolidge Middle School and to exhibit McClain's
artwork. This first posthumous exhibit featured 23 pieces of McClain's artwork,
which was generously donated by the family and friends who own these priceless
pieces. The “FEEL the Emotion” event was an exclusive chance to experience
McClain's amazing artwork live, in person, and in one place making it a
significant event for this virtual Gallery. Public viewings of McClain's artwork
remain a rarity and no future exhibits are planned.
5. How many
pairs of shoes do you own?
Never really counted them before. Let's
see...2 pairs of dress shoes, 1 pair of everyday shoes, 1 pair of Converse, 1
pair of sandals, 1 pair of running shoes, and 1 pair of grass-cutting shoes.
Huh, guess that makes 7 pairs of shoes.
6. Your first press
release for FEEL the Emotion, a collection of McClain's art, generated a huge
amount of interest in your gallery. Do you have any more marketing plans for the
near future?
The growing interest in the Nathan McClain Gallery
continues to be amazing considering the Gallery does almost no advertising.
Since opening the Gallery less than two years ago, Nathan McClain has received
media coverage including television and was part of an international conference.
The press release for the FEEL the Emotion book generated 35,559 reads after one
day and 46,812 after one week! Considering McClain has been deceased for almost
eight years, these are tremendous accomplishments and a testament to his
continued impact.
Being a nonprofit, the Gallery started marketing
merchandise to offset the operational costs of the Gallery. The first endeavor
is the FEEL the Emotion book, which collects for the first time McClain's
priceless artwork featured at the event of the same name. Everyone is raving
about this book, which has encouraged us to investigate other offerings. Keep
your eyes open for a 2006 calendar in the late Fall just in time for the holiday
season. Looking into 2006 and beyond...who knows, we are always open to hear
what others would like to see available.
7. When do you do your
Christmas shopping: year-round, a few months before Christmas, or at the last
minute?
Combination of advance and last minute. The Christmas
shopping is done 90% online after Thanksgiving with the remaining gifts
purchased a week or so before Christmas.
8. What's your favorite
piece of artwork on http://www.natemcclain.com and why?
One of my
favorite pieces has a personal sentimental importance. The piece is a painting
Nate did of a Stormtrooper from Star Wars on black VELVET! Nate and some other
artists created velvet paintings for the Star Wars Special Edition movies that
were released back in 1997, the year Nate died. Nate wanted me to sell these
Star Wars velvet paintings at the movie theater on opening night. The plan was
to have me wear my "Guido" afro (long story), a black trench coat, and
sunglasses while standing by a boombox playing salsa music to encourage people
to buy the velvets. To maintain their artistic reputation, the artists signed
all the velvet paintings "Guido" instead of using their own names. The paintings
never did make it to the movie theater due to WAY too much partying that night.
The next day, Nate gave me the velvet painting he created which became the last
painting he ever gave me.
9. What movie coming out in the next
year are you looking forward to seeing the most?
"Happy Little Trees"
a shocking Bob Ross biopic that reveals the struggles of the man underneath the
afro. Seriously, I am curious to see how "The Lion, The Witch, & The
Wardrobe" turns out. The Chronicles of Narnia was one of the first book series I
read as a child.
10. Where do you and the gallery go from here?
Expansion! Expansion! Expansion!
Expanding the permanent art
collection. Currently, the Gallery has close to 75 pieces of McClain's artwork
in the permanent collection. There are 20 additional pieces that are classified
as "missing" since the owners of these pieces are unknown. The Gallery is
constantly locating missing pieces and discovering new pieces of McClain's
legacy of art.
Expanding the community. While alive, Nathan McClain was
the center of many spheres of influence bringing diverse groups of people
together. The Nathan McClain Gallery has increased McClain's influence beyond
family and friends to include people who never knew him. Being a virtual
Gallery, McClain's influence will continue to expand to anyone, anywhere at any
time.
Expanding the Gallery content. We are reorganizing the Gallery to
celebrate our 2nd year in existence. The Gallery now offers a McClain biography,
chronology, and about us pages. The other content is streamlined making it
easier for visitors to navigate. Since the community provides 90% of the
content, the Gallery is continuously expanding and changes
frequently.
These are all great questions and I am honored to have been
profiled by Lulu!
This article can also be viewed at the Lulu website.
