At the October 2009 High Point Market in the Suites at Market Square, AMAZED put on a visual show called “a Trip to Ahhs” that reinterpreted the Wizard of Oz, in honor of the 70th anniversary of the movie. Using references from pop culture, the creative director and crew developed a series of artistic vignettes in a 4000 square foot gallery, which became the talk of market.
One of the vignettes, “Find the Peace”, represented Dorothy’s black and white world as relating to America during the civil rights movement. More than 600 Black and white photos of the Race Riots, The Civil Rights struggle, and faces of the voices offering hope and change were collaged into a 20 foot mural forming a giant peace sign. A single white light bulb with the word HOPE shone in the center of the display.
During the event, Paulette Cole of ABC Home in New York and her creative team asked Mike Farrell, the mind behind Amazed, to redevelop the concept for the Broadway and 19th street corner windows of the award-winning retail store.
The windows opened on January 28th and will be on display for the month of February, Black History Month. The furniture in the window display was supplied by McCreary Modern using two fabrics designed by Farrell for Adesal Jacquards, a leading edgy fabric company with mills in Argentina, where Farrell spends much of his time.
“I applaud Market Square for their leadership in design, creativity, and out-of-the-box thinking,” said Mike Farrell, creative director for AMAZED. “ Our partnership has created something truly unique at the High Point Market and in this industry in general, and now to have our concept validated by ABC Home, one of the most visionary retailers around, is just incredibly rewarding.”
AMAZED, a 4000 square foot merchandising concept area, is a regular feature in the Suites at Market Square but focuses on a new theme each Market, and this Market’s theme is “The Ten Senses of Good Vibration.” Songs we all know and love will be transformed into vignettes of visual expression demonstrating that a small budget and a whole lot of creativity and local talent can result in something amazingly inspiring. Visitors will walk away with exciting new ideas to apply to their store displays, showroom displays, and residential settings.
“We created the Design + Innovation Displays area in the Suites to provide a venue for resources and innovative exhibits that inspire creativity in all areas of our industry,” said Karen Olson, vice president of marketing for MMPI High Point, owners of Market Square & Suites. “We hope visitors will arrive with their camera, a notepad and an open mind and leave feeling refreshed, renewed and inspired to integrate one or many of these new concepts into their business.”
AMAZED will be one of several exhibits in the “Design + Innovation Displays” area on the 1st (top) floor of the Suites at Market Square at the April High Point Market, April 17-22, 2010. Other displays include THINK: Materials and Raymond Waites Design Competition among others.
For more information about these and many other exciting events and exhibits at Market Square & Suites, visit www.marketsquareandsuites.com.
MMPI is a trade show and property management firm, specializing in managing buildings devoted to wholesale showrooms and commercial office space.
MMPI produces more than 300 trade shows, market events and conferences each year. MMPI manages The Merchandise Mart and 350 W. Mart Center in Chicago; Market Square, the Suites at Market Square, Hamilton Market, Plaza Suites, Furniture Plaza and the National Furniture Mart in High Point, N.C.; the Architects & Designers Building and 7 W New York in New York; the Boston Design Center in Boston; the L.A. Mart in Los Angeles; and the Washington Design Center in Washington, D.C.
Vornado Realty Trust, owner of MMPI, based in New York City, is a fully integrated equity real estate investment trust. Vornado’s common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and are traded under the symbol VNO.