RON CLEMENTS DISNEY EXHIBITION PART 1

PART ONE: A DREAM JOB

One day I got a phone call that triggered a fine animation experience.
The 30th anniversary of Ron Clements' working at Disney was coming up
and it was decided to mark the occasion with a major exhibition of his
work. Having done many exhibitions of original animation art and
artifacts over the years in museums and art centers in Canada, the USA
and Europe, and having worked with Disney on some of these, they
thought Disada would be the right people to do the show to honor the
animator and co-director of features such as THE LITTLE MERMAID,
ALADDIN and others.

Asked what I would suggest as to how to do the exhibition, I thought
about the varied subjects of his feature films and proposed having
original artwork and other items displayed on “sets” from the films.
THE LITTLE MERMAID exhibits would be housed in an undersea grotto, THE
GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE on the streets of London, England, ALADDIN in
the marketplace, HERCULES amid ancient Greek columns and pottery, and
TREASURE PLANET on the deck of a pirate ship. The idea was immediately
accepted and other general details discussed.

I then called Nicholas Mahon and told him the news. He was a student
of mine in animation at the Ottawa School of Art a couple of years
earlier, and had worked at Disada in the two summers since. He was
currently halfway into his final year in design at John Abbott
College. His work there confirmed that I was right in thinking him a
fine talent. “Wow, who's the lucky stiff who'll design that for you?”
he asked. I told him he was my choice. I knew he could do it, would do
a great job, and that this could make his career.

It wasn't that easy to convince the school to let him do it. I thought
he should be given credit for his last semester for doing this job
instead of going to all his classes. It would be totally involving,
challenge him to the max, give him more practical experience than
would class assignments and give him a professional credit no doubt
his teachers would like to have on their own resumes. The school was
afraid this big bad company would have him do the work and not pay him
properly or at all. They couldn't figure out why we would go to an
ungraduated student to do a major show.

Then, in one of those weird coincidences, his main teacher asked which
company was offering him the job. Learning it was Disada she changed
her mind and agreed he should take it. As fate would have it, she had
worked at Disada part time in ink and paint while going to college
some thirty years or so earlier. As she said to Nick, now it made
sense to her, as Peter would be crazy enough to hire new talent for a
major job. She said she had enjoyed her time with us and to say hello.
But I wasn't worried. I had the most talented student I'd ever taught
on board. Now the real work could begin.