Stage Nine Entertainment is shrinking things down for a single day. On October 24, the Old Sacramento Waterfront retailer and its longtime partner Collectors Editions will present “Tiny Tales,” a one-day exhibition featuring more than 60 original Disney artworks, each measuring 12 inches by 12 inches or smaller, created by 20 official Disney Fine Art artists who will each display at least three pieces.
The show runs inside the Underground Vault at Stage Nine, located at 102 K Street in the historic What Cheer House building at Front and K Streets, as first reported by Sacramento Press. The building was first used as a hotel and was used for California state offices in 1855, and it now carries the designation of California Historical Landmark No. 597, according to Wikipedia.
From noon to 4 p.m. that day, community members can meet five of the participating Disney Fine Art artists for storytelling sessions, meet-and-greets, and autograph signings inside the Underground Vault, per the Sacramento Press report. Three of those artists — Angel Alvarez, Bob Doucette, and Becky Stevens — will be making their first-ever appearance at Stage Nine, while Liana Hee and Stage Nine resident artist Tom Matousek round out the daytime lineup, the outlet notes.
Who's Behind the Tiny Originals
Collectors Editions, the exhibition's co-presenter, has served as the Walt Disney Company's officially licensed publisher of Disney Fine Art, according to Disney Fine Art. Alvarez is a Disney Fine Art artist. Doucette, meanwhile, has worked on the children's television series “Chloe's Closet” and animated shows including “Tiny Toon Adventures” and “Animaniacs.”
Matousek, the resident artist whose first-ever Stage Nine appearance isn't required since he already calls the Vault home, is a San Francisco-based painter who created public murals for AT&T Park and for the homes of professional athletes before becoming an official Disney Fine Art artist, per Stage Nine.
A Ticketed Night for Costumed Collectors
After the daytime meet-and-greets wrap, Stage Nine shifts into a ticketed VIP event from 7 to 10 p.m., with costumes encouraged. Capacity is strictly capped at 50 attendees in the Underground Vault Gallery, according to Stage Nine Entertainment's event listing. The VIP ticket includes cocktails, passed appetizers, and additional artist meet-and-greets, and advance tickets along with information on all 20 participating artists are available through Stage Nine.
Alongside the fine art, the Underground Vault will display more than 50 custom-carved pumpkins featuring favorite pop culture icons, carved by Alex Weir, with the space dressed in special spooky-season décor for the occasion, per the Sacramento Press account.
From a 500-Square-Foot Dorm-Era Shop to a Pop Culture Empire
Stage Nine's roots trace back to 1991, when founder Troy Carlson opened a 500-square-foot shop called Old Sacramento Giftique during his first year at Sacramento State. The operation has since grown into a combined 8,000-square-foot multi-store footprint inside the What Cheer House, according to the Sacramento Press report, encompassing the Stage Nine Entertainment store, G. Willikers! Toy Emporium, the Vault, the Old Fashioned Candy & Confectionery Store, and an RSVLTS outpost.
The Stage Nine Entertainment store alone showcases roughly 20,000 items tied to movies, television, toys, and broader pop culture, and the complex regularly hosts retail events attended by celebrities, artists, and entertainers. The Vault, where “Tiny Tales” will be staged, bills itself as California's number one independently owned retailer of Disney Fine Art.
Carlson's reach extends well beyond the retail floor. He conceived and created Old Sacramento's annual “Theatre of Lights” holiday spectacle in 2008, an immersive light-and-sound show narrated by Disney voice actor Bill Farmer, according to CBS News. More recently, Stage 9 Exhibits created Hawthorne's Hideout.
Stage Nine's toy arm, G. Willikers! Toy Emporium, is one of the company's retail concepts. Open questions remain, per the Sacramento Press, including exact price points for the individual 12x12-inch originals and whether “Tiny Tales” will return as an annual fall fixture.
Stage Nine's retail stores are open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and those with questions about the exhibition or VIP tickets can reach the business at 916-447-3623.
