Remembering Alan Rickman & Celebrating Harry Potter
Leslie Combemale of ArtInsights says:
Rickman brought Professor Snape to life in a way no one else could, and created a much bigger audience for the movies out of his many fans. As much as I loved the books, having Alan Rickman announced as Snape just made me all the more excited and committed to watching the entire film series. The film series is full of wonderful actors, but it is because of him, first and foremost, that I became so attached to it.
I’ve been to many conventions, been a part of lots of panels, and sold hundreds of pieces of official Harry Potter art. I’ve seen Alan Rickman in plays for years, and even felt a kinship because he was connected to RADA (I went there) and we shared a birthday (February 21st). I know from my fellow HP fans, collectors, and production artists that Snape, and by extension Alan Rickman as that character, came to be a representative for all things misunderstood, weird, and wonderful.
Snape was both good and bad, trapped and stymied by his overwhelming love and bitterness. He was a cautionary tale and an inspiration. There are few characters that do that as well.
As an actor, it’s a powerful legacy to have built from just one character. Of course many remember him as Hans Gruber from Die Hard, but he had a long and stellar career both on stage and screen. Sometimes he was the picture of subtlety, sometimes an intentional scenery-chewer, but always compelling to watch.
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We were just preparing a show of Harry Potter art called “Sorcerers in Snow: Hogwarts in Winter”, when we were approached by the founder of the www.alwaysjkrowling.com site about raising awareness and funds for a charity Rowling had started called Lumos. Lumos endeavors to make the institutionalization of children in the world a distant memory. We backtracked and added that we’d donate 10% of sales proceeds to Lumos . Then this morning we found out fans had lost their Snape, and of course we wanted to donate to one of Rickman’s causes as well, so we added a charity he supported, Saving Faces. It does research, aids in treatment, and works to expand awareness about facial diseases like oral cancer. Both charities are worthy and important, and we always love having a charity component when we have an exhibit or collection. The idea is to hopefully do well and do good at the same time.
It feels like a way to channel our sadness at a loss, with a proactive way of celebrating not only the work of J.K Rowling, but the life of an amazing actor who inspired us with his work and life. We can bring attention to charities that might make the world a little better, and raise a little money for them as well. If you are interested in donating directly, or want more information on the charities, go to wearelumos.org and savingfaces.co.uk. To see our collection of art from Harry Potter, go to our HARRY POTTER PAGE.