It’s been to several countries in Europe and shown to visitors at venues ranging from an arena to a cathedral, but now a new Star Wars memorabilia exhibit has found a new home at a south Edmonton shopping centre.
“We like to bring in something unique for customers,” said Angela Woronka, the marketing manager at Southgate Centre.
She said the “Unofficial Galaxies” exhibit, which bills itself as featuring one of the world’s largest private single collections of Star Wars memorabilia, will showcase iconic costume “from the actual movies” and even “a full-size vehicle that we were able to get in here.”
Martin Curtis, the production manager for the exhibit, explained getting that vehicle in the shopping centre was no simple task.
“I do all the packs and unpacks … all that has to be measured exactly,” he explained, adding that moving in the vehicle took more than seven hours just for the one piece.
“Unofficial Galaxies” showcases 22 scenes and many items.
“We were unloading in like -42 C,” Curtis said. ‘It’s been a tough couple of days to get it in.”
He said being tasked with packing and moving the pieces around the world is a lot of pressure but he enjoys it.
“It’s just terrifying (handling the stuff),” Curtis said. “It’s the rarity of some of the stuff here… some of these are like museum pieces … (and we’re) handling this stuff into tight corridors and figuring out lift points not to break anything … quite a feat.
“(But) it’s a wonderful experience to see people enjoy it.”
He added that the exhibit drew quite diverse crowds at its previous showings in Finland, Bulgaria and in the U.K.
“Some exhibitions, it feels like it’s just for a certain group of people. This feels like it’s for everybody.”
The exhibit opens Saturday on the second floor of Southgate Centre’s atrium and runs until Feb. 26.
“This is actually part of the new redevelopment in our new north wing,” Woronka said of the space. “Everybody’s really excited.”
With the Edmonton being the first Canadian city where the exhibit is being shown, Woronka added that she is already hearing about people planning to drive in from Calgary to see it and expects people will come from other places as well.
“(Visitors) can not only shop but bring their family here and make a day of it,” she said.
Curtis said while the exhibit has already been touring for over a year, “it’s progressively getting bigger every time we do a venue.”
He said the Star Wars film franchise seems to have a special appeal to visitors.
“(Filmmaker) George Lucas and his team made something incredible all those years ago.”
Curtis and Woronka noted that the exhibition is in no way linked to Disney Enterprises INC, Lucasfilm Ltd LLC, Lucas Licensing Ltd or Lucas Entertainment Company Ltd LLC.
They also said any trademarks in connection with the exhibition are the properties of their respective owners.
A disclaimer on Southgate Centre’s website noted that “the exhibition is a privately owned collection.
“All the images used are reproductions of private works belonging to the exhibition and from Shutterstock.”