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Home, family, beauty of nature, and simpler ways of living.
”
These are some of the words Thomas Kinkade, the most financially
successful painter in history and focus of a new movie from
Lionsgate Films, uses to describe Morgan Hill.
Morgan Hill
“Home, family, beauty of nature, and simpler ways of living.”
These are some of the words Thomas Kinkade, the most financially successful painter in history and focus of a new movie from Lionsgate Films, uses to describe Morgan Hill.
In addition to being a famous artist, Kinkade’s company, The Thomas Kinkade Company, 900 Lightpost Way, is also one of Morgan Hill’s largest employers.
Whether or not you are a fan of his work, the facts are staggering.
From 1997 to 2005 Kinkade earned an estimated $53 million for his work, which included salary and licensing revenue, according to the Dallas Morning News, and sold over $2 million worth of his products in one hour on QVC, the world’s largest electronic retailer. The company sells anything from home decor products to gift items and limited edition artwork.
MOVING TO MORGAN HILL
In 2001, Media Arts Group, known now as the Thomas Kinkade Company, moved to Morgan Hill from San Jose because the company “was looking for more space to grow and Morgan Hill had an interesting set of variables, not the least of which was a really nice environment,” according to Kinkade company CEO Dan Byrne.
Kinkade, also known as the Painter of Light, grew up in the small town of Placerville, north of Sacramento. His childhood hometown influenced his love of community and would ultimately play a big part in choosing the Mushroom City to put down his artistic roots.
When he was searching for a place to grow his business, that would be easy for employees to commute to, he knew he had found his match in Morgan Hill.
“Morgan Hill is one of the great, authentic small towns,” said the father of four.
“I was drawn to the city (of Morgan Hill), but also the people. There’s definitely a small town atmosphere. People do not buy into the pace of life that is prevalent in most of the Bay Area. I wanted to create a campus that is a place of refuge, a kind of place where people could go for a walk in the afternoon and not worry about crime.”
The Thomas Kindade Company currently has 180-plus employees who work in two buildings dedicated to manufacturing, sales and marketing of the Thomas Kinkade brand.
“The message of my art is being created in Morgan Hill and sent to millions of people each year. From the small town of Morgan Hill we are sending out a message of hope and inspiration to the world,” said Kinkade referring to his philosophy of a simpler way of life and the beauty of nature reflected in each of his products. Critics complain that he’s pictures aren’t real depictions of nature scenes, but Kinkade stresses that his art work represents hope, beauty and a simpler way of life.
Kinkade’s company has sponsored and supported many events in Morgan Hill. Some of the events included co-chairing the Taste of Morgan Hill 2007, sponsorship of the community Women in Business luncheons, use of facilities for the Summit Church men’s prayer group, and many others. The company also assists the Leadership Morgan Hill group by sponsoring its media day class.
“We really like being here, and want to be a productive member of the community,” said Byrne.
The 49-year-old luminous painter also commemorated downtown Morgan Hill with a painting titled, “An All American Hometown Morgan Hill,” to raise money for the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce.
“When Media Arts Group decided to move to Morgan Hill, the opportunity to work with the chamber, which helps many organizations, asked Thomas Kinkade to commemorate the hometown feeling that the city is known for,” said Jim Bryant, a spokesman for the company.
Many prints were donated to the chamber, which helped the organization raise thousands of dollars, Bryant added.
It might not be the Louvre, but a print of the painting can be viewed in all its glory in the lobby of Denny’s restaurant, 875 Cochrane Road.
HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
A film about Kinkade’s early life, tentatively titled “Home for Christmas,” will be produced by Kinkade’s new media-based company, Sterling Media – also headquartered in Morgan Hill.
“Home for Christmas” will feature an all-star cast, including Peter O’Toole, “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Stardust,” Jared Padalecki, from the TV show “Supernatural,” who will play Kinkade, and Academy Award winner Marcia Gay Harden, “Pollock,” who will play her mother. The feature-length film will be directed by Michael Campus, whose previous work includes “The Education of Sonny Carlson.”
Kinkade’s art and life inspired the movie. In the film, a painting, titled “The Christmas Cottage,” is featured showing the house the painter grew up.
The movie tells how Kinkade was motivated to begin his career after discovering his mother was in danger of losing the family’s income. It is set for release during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season in 2008.
Does Sterling Media mean a host of new jobs for Morgan Hill? Not exactly.
“The production world is essentially independent contractors coming together for a project and then dispersing again. Our hope is that if the media business takes off that we would be employing several full-time employees after a few years,” according to Byrne.
Sterling Media is partnering with Lionsgate to create two more movies about Kinkade’s life in what will be, ultimately, a trilogy.
“This is very exciting for me. It is an extension of what I do as an artist – create works of inspiration that people can enjoy every day,” said Kinkade of the films.
All filming took place in Vancouver, Canada but Byrne said they were not ruling out filming in California for the sequels.
The movie will not contain any of Kinkade’s current legal woes, which stem from allegations of unfair business practices in several independent galleries that have carried his work.
Kinkade lives in Saratoga, but recently bought a ranch south of Gilroy.
The Kinkade Company is planning an open house for Morgan Hill residents in time for Christmas this year. It will offer the public Kinkade artwork at discounted retail prices. The date is still to be determined.
