Disney Projects from Anaheim to Paris to Be Showcased at 2015 Thea Awards Gala and TEA Summit

Feb 25, 2015 Joe Kleiman Business, Events, News, Theme Parks 0

Burbank, CA, USA (February 24, 2014) — Disney projects celebrated at the 2015 Thea Awards Gala and TEA Summit – March 19-21 at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif. USA – include “it’s a small world,” Bistrot Chez Rémy (Disneyland Paris) and Wilderness Explorers (Disney’s Animal Kingdom).

Representing the Disney projects:

–Kim Irvine (Art Director, Walt Disney Imagineering) and Marty Sklar (Disney Legend and Imagineering Ambassador) for “it’s a small world,” which is receiving the Thea Classic Award. Irvine will discuss the project and its origins on March 19 as part of TEA Summit Day One. Sklar will be on hand for the official honors March 21 at the Thea Awards Gala. Irvine and Sklar are both past Thea honorees for lifetime achievement.
–Staci Schofield (Lead Designer, Walt Disney Imagineering) for Wilderness Explorers, receiving a Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement. Schofield will discuss the project on March 20 as part of TEA Summit Day Two: Thea Case Studies.
— Chrissie Allen (Executive Producer, Walt Disney Imagineering) and Amy Young (Principal/Owner, Amy Young Designs, Inc.) for Bistrot Chéz Remy, also receiving a Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement. Allen and Young will discuss the project on March 20 as part of TEA Summit Day Two: Thea Case Studies.

Also participating in the TEA Summit is Joe Lanzisero, (Creative Executive, Hong Kong Disneyland & Disney Cruise Line Portfolios, Walt Disney Imagineering) as part of aStorytelling session on March 19.

Kim Irvine – Art Director, Walt Disney Imagineering

Kim Irvine performs concept design and color styling for all kinds of Disneyland projects. Irvine was the overall art director for the refreshment of the classic “it’s a small world” attraction. Her WDI career began in 1970 as a painter and model builder, contributing to many Walt Disney World Resort projects in Florida – painting interior sets, dolls and toys for “it’s a small world,” murals for Disney’s Contemporary Resort, placing feathers on birds for The Enchanted Tiki Room. For Epcot, Irvine helped build models of The Land and Universe of Energy, and the Mexico and Germany pavilions. After working on projects for Disneyland Paris, she joined the Anaheim team in 1980.

Chrissie Allen – Executive Producer, Walt Disney Imagineering

Chrissie Allen is responsible for maintaining the creative vision and storytelling of an attraction from the creative phase through opening. Currently Executive Producer for the Disneyland Paris portfolio, Allen’s first WDI role was as a facility design manager for a concept for a second theme park at Disneyland Paris, known today as Walt Disney Studios Park. She worked in the same role during the concept and feasibility phases of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Allen has been the executive producer for Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquee de Rémy, along with La Place de Rémy, the new mini-land at Disneyland Paris, which includes Bistrot Chez Rémy.

Amy Young – Amy Young Designs Inc.

Amy Young was interior design consultant for Bistrot Chez Rémy.

Staci Schofield – Lead Designer, Walt Disney Imagineering

Staci is a lead designer creative directing current projects around the world. She started with Imagineering in 2003, and has worked on many Blue Sky concepts for many Disney theme parks around the world. She also has worked on many realized projects globally, most notably Space Mountain Tokyo, & Toy Story Mania. Among her Disney work, she also has designed playgrounds, retail shops, interactives, and dining experiences. Most recently she finished work on a new refresh for Disney’s Animal Kingdom including the interactive Wilderness Explorers experience, inspired by Disney-Pixar’s award-winning film Up.

Marty Sklar, Marty Sklar Creative – Disney Legend and Imagineering Ambassador

Marty Sklar began his Disney career at Disneyland in June, 1955 – one month before Disneyland opened. He was hired to create The Disneyland News, a tabloid newspaper sold on Main Street for 10 cents during Disneyland’s first summer. Two weeks after he started – at age 21 – Marty had to present the newspaper concept to Walt Disney. Fortunately, Walt liked it — and Marty says that’s why his career at Disney lasted 54 years.After completing his last year at UCLA, Marty returned to Disneyland’s publicity and public relations group in 1956. He moved to WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering) in 1961 to work on shows for the New York World’s Fair 1964-65. For 10 years, until Walt Disney’s death in December, 1966, Marty wrote personal material for Walt, including his messages in the Annual Report and a 25-minute film that expressed Walt’s vision for Walt Disney World and Epcot.

Starting in 1974, for 30 years, Marty was the creative leader of Walt Disney Imagineering as Vice President, President and Vice Chairman and Principal Creative Executive. He retired as Executive Vice President, and Imagineering Ambassador. In August, 2013, Disney Editions published Marty’s book: “Dream It! Do It! My Half-Century Creating Disney’s Magic Kingdoms.”