Tag Archives: Tiki

Oceanic Arts – Whittier, CA

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Tiki Sites and Stores and tagged with , , ,

Inside a nondescript building in Whittier, less than an hour outside of LA, is the treasure trove of tiki that is Oceanic Arts. It’s basically a one-stop shop for anybody looking to build a home tiki bar or throw a big luau (though I suppose your second stop would probably be a good liquor store).

But supplying bamboo, lauhala matting and carvings to the masses is just the tip of the iceberg for them. They’re also responsible for the decor of landmarks like the Enchanted Tiki Room and the Tonga Room…

Not to mention numerous films and television shows ranging from “Gilligan’s Island” to the “Pirates of the Caribbean” sequels to my personal favorite: “Saved by the Bell.” (A piece of paper at the front desk lists some of their many credits.)

There’s also sections filled with nautical items like port and starboard lanterns, cork floats, glass floats, rigging, life preservers and even mermaid figureheads. (Although some items are only for rent, and others are even just for show.)

Leroy Schmaltz started Oceanic Arts with Bob Van Oosting in 1957, after cultivating his talent for carving tikis in the style of…Oceanic art! Check out the book/catalog “Night of the Tiki: The Art of Shag, Schmaltz and Selective Primitive Oceanic Carvings” for more on their history.

And they’ve been running this business for more than fifty years! “Almost every sitcom will eventually have an episode that has some tropical setting in it….We’ll wind up doing it,” said Schmaltz in “Night of the Tiki.”

These shell and tapa lamps are just amazing, though alas, out of my price range. I can dream!

Here’s a little area where significant others can relax while the pocketbook damage is being done. (If Mr. Hockey hadn’t been out of town that weekend, you probably would have seen him here.)

The display cases are filled with tiki tablelamps and vintage and recent mugs, including one that commemorates themselves! These are just for admiring, though there are some Tiki Farm mugs available to buy in another area.

The warehouse is only open weekdays, plus Saturdays from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., so I’d suggest making it an early trip to ensure plenty of browsing time. I picked up a couple things for my tiki room, but probably the most useful purchase was their catalog ($10). It lists pictures and pricing for lots of their stock, so next time I can go in with a clearer idea of what I want and what’s in my budget.

Oceanic Arts Tropical Decor
12414 Whittier Blvd.
Whittier, CA 90602
562-698-6960

Disneyland’s 55th Anniversary Art from Kevin Kidney & Jody Daily

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Objets de Tiki and tagged with , , , ,

A day at Disneyland is not complete for me without a visit to the Disney Gallery, and its new-ish, larger location at the end (beginning?) of Main Street makes it easy to drop in on your way out of the park.

Just adjacent is the Opera House lobby, where you can admire this incredible piece of Disney history. The plaque says that this is the park bench (from Griffith Park’s merry-go-round) where Walt Disney dreamed up the idea of Disneyland. I can also attest that that circa-1926 carousel is a magical place, indeed.

And on the topic of Disneyland’s origins, artists Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily have been designing a slew of things to celebrate the park’s 55th anniversary, such as this “Disneyland ’55 Paper-Sculpture-O-Rama” (much better pic at their link).

On these wrapped canvas giclées, it’s easier to see how each of the main themed areas are represented with symbols of attractions from when Disneyland opened in 1955. Some are long gone, but there’s still the Jungle Cruise, Tea Cups and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride (a favorite of Mr. Baseball).

On this closer shot of the Adventureland one, you can see a Marquesan tiki next to the Jungle Cruise boat. You’re thinking The Enchanted Tiki Room, right? Wrong! (It didn’t open until 1963.) In Daveland’s collection of vintage Disneyland photos, you can spot this tiki propped up between two benches. (FYI, the store also had prints of the individual lands for about $30, though the stack I sifted through only had Frontierland.)

The Disney Gallery space used to be the Bank of Main Street, and the vault has been housing a couple of Shag’s original paintings from the Haunted Mansion anniversary. How neat! (And prudent, too, considering I think they’re priced at about ten grand each.)

Tiki at the LA County Fair – Pomona, CA

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Other Tiki Topics and tagged with ,

The end of summer is usually a bummer, but it also means the return of the Los Angeles County Fair. We always follow one rule: arrive hungry.

A trifecta of fried foods from Chicken Charlie’s: deep-fried artichokes (the ones we had last year from a different vendor were better), deep-fried s’mores (winner!), and a fried chicken sandwich in a Krispy Kreme jelly donut.

With all the bacon air fresheners, bacon jelly beans and other bacon-based items on the market, it’s safe to say that bacon has jumped the shark. But we still had to try the chocolate covered bacon.

There’s also a wine tasting tent where you can put together your own sampling flights. (This is California, after all.)

Then there’s the carnival rides that give you plenty of opportunities to lose that aforementioned lunch…

So what does all this have to do with tiki? Well, here’s the cheap tie-in to my blog’s theme.

A pony named tiki! Actually, I did find quite a bit of tiki at the LA County Fair, you’ll just to have to check back for it in my next few posts….More cute animals and ridiculous fair food after the jump!

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