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Since 1956, LeRoy Schmaltz and Bob Van Oosting person been carving and selling tiki- and Polynesian-inspired creation and decor to restaurants, hotels and movie studios, particularly Disney. But those days are coming to an end.
They are closing down their Whittier-based company, Oceanic Arts, located astatine 12414 Whittier Blvd., declaring that it’s clip to retire.
Co-owners LeRoy Schmaltz, left, and Bob Van Oosting of Oceanic Arts merchantability tiki art, statues, imported decorations, signs, solid shot lights, outrigger canoes, thatchings and mattings, presently from a warehouse to hotels, resorts, homes and Disneyland successful a concern founded successful 1956 and is closing soon successful Whittier, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Oceanic Arts sells tiki art, statues, imported decorations, signs, solid shot lights, outrigger canoes, thatchings and mattings, presently from a warehouse to hotels, resorts, homes and Disneyland successful a concern founded successful 1956 and is closing soon successful Whittier, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Oceanic Arts sells tiki art, statues, imported decorations, signs, solid shot lights, outrigger canoes, thatchings and mattings, presently from a warehouse to hotels, resorts, homes and Disneyland successful a concern founded successful 1956 and is closing soon successful Whittier, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Oceanic Arts sells tiki art, statues, imported decorations, signs, solid shot lights, outrigger canoes, thatchings and mattings, presently from a warehouse to hotels, resorts, homes and Disneyland successful a concern founded successful 1956 and is closing soon successful Whittier, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Oceanic Arts sells tiki art, statues, imported decorations, signs, solid shot lights, outrigger canoes, thatchings and mattings, presently from a warehouse to hotels, resorts, homes and Disneyland successful a concern founded successful 1956 and is closing soon successful Whittier, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Oceanic Arts sells tiki art, statues, imported decorations, signs, solid shot lights, outrigger canoes, thatchings and mattings, presently from a warehouse to hotels, resorts, homes and Disneyland successful a concern founded successful 1956 and is closing soon successful Whittier, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Co-owners LeRoy Schmaltz, left, and Bob Van Oosting of Oceanic Arts merchantability tiki art, statues, imported decorations, signs, solid shot lights, outrigger canoes, thatchings and mattings, presently from a warehouse to hotels, resorts, homes and Disneyland successful a concern founded successful 1956 and is closing soon successful Whittier, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Co-owners LeRoy Schmaltz, left, and Bob Van Oosting of Oceanic Arts merchantability tiki art, statues, imported decorations, signs, solid shot lights, outrigger canoes, thatchings and mattings, presently from a warehouse to hotels, resorts, homes and Disneyland successful a concern founded successful 1956 and is closing soon successful Whittier, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Co-owners LeRoy Schmaltz, left, and Bob Van Oosting of Oceanic Arts merchantability tiki art, statues, imported decorations, signs, solid shot lights, outrigger canoes, thatchings and mattings, presently from a warehouse to hotels, resorts, homes and Disneyland successful a concern founded successful 1956 and is closing soon successful Whittier, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Oceanic Arts sells tiki art, statues, imported decorations, signs, solid shot lights, outrigger canoes, thatchings and mattings, presently from a warehouse to hotels, resorts, homes and Disneyland successful a concern founded successful 1956 and is closing soon successful Whittier, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Oceanic Arts sells tiki art, statues, imported decorations, signs, solid shot lights, outrigger canoes, thatchings and mattings, presently from a warehouse to hotels, resorts, homes and Disneyland successful a concern founded successful 1956 and is closing soon successful Whittier, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Oceanic Arts sells tiki art, statues, imported decorations, signs, solid shot lights, outrigger canoes, thatchings and mattings, presently from a warehouse to hotels, resorts, homes and Disneyland successful a concern founded successful 1956 and is closing soon successful Whittier, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Oceanic Arts sells tiki art, statues, imported decorations, signs, solid shot lights, outrigger canoes, thatchings and mattings, presently from a warehouse to hotels, resorts, homes and Disneyland successful a concern founded successful 1956 and is closing soon successful Whittier, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Oceanic Arts sells tiki art, statues, imported decorations, signs, solid shot lights, outrigger canoes, thatchings and mattings, presently from a warehouse to hotels, resorts, homes and Disneyland successful a concern founded successful 1956 and is closing soon successful Whittier, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Co-owners LeRoy Schmaltz, left, and Bob Van Oosting of Oceanic Arts merchantability tiki art, statues, imported decorations, signs, solid shot lights, outrigger canoes, thatchings and mattings, presently from a warehouse to hotels, resorts, homes and Disneyland successful a concern founded successful 1956 and is closing soon successful Whittier, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
Co-owners LeRoy Schmaltz, left, and Bob Van Oosting of Oceanic Arts merchantability tiki art, statues, imported decorations, signs, solid shot lights, outrigger canoes, thatchings and mattings, presently from a warehouse to hotels, resorts, homes and Disneyland successful a concern founded successful 1956 and is closing soon successful Whittier, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021. (Photo by Alex Gallardo, Contributing Photographer)
“We’ve been doing it for 65 years and we’re getting old,” Van Oosting said successful a Tuesday, Nov. 30 interrogation astatine the store. “We’re some 80 years old. That’s the main reason.”
Still, they’re bittersweet to permission the business.
“We emotion the concern and are large friends,” Van Oosting said. “We’ve had truthful galore customers go idiosyncratic friends.”
Although their retail store is present closed, they inactive person backmost orders to decorativeness and a batch of artwork to sell. They deliberation they’ll beryllium wholly retired of concern by March oregon April.
Whittier Mayor Joe Vinatieri said he’s blessed for the 2 but he’s atrocious they’re closing down.
“They’re a specialty concern successful Whittier that has brought successful radical from each over, including Hollywood,” Vinatieri said. “It’s been a large portion of our assemblage for years.”
Schmaltz got his commencement successful creation from a Whittier High School art people taught by Yosh Nakamura, besides known arsenic being among past survivors of famed all-Japanese- American World War II combat squad who aboriginal taught astatine Rio Hondo College.
“He’s been a mentor of mine,” Schmalz said of Nakamura, who taught astatine Whittier from 1952-63.
Nakamura said he’s been pursuing Schmalz’ enactment since helium graduated from precocious school.
“I’m truly arrogant of him since helium got retired of precocious school,” Nakamura said. “He did precise well.”
Schmalz and Van Oosting archetypal met astatine Mt. San Antonio College. Schmaltz was an creation pupil who did wood carving and got funny successful producing tribal masks, portion Van Oosting was a concern student.
Their concern took disconnected aft returning from a astir four-month travel to the South Pacific.
Their enactment – which includes fiberglass tikis, outrigger canoes, tropical shells, puffer fish, tiki lights and bamboo and reed fencing – has been seen connected the large and tiny screens. The “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies and specified TV bid arsenic “CSI: Miami” person featured their artifacts.
They’ve been located successful respective locations, doubly being forced retired by eminent domain, making country for the 605 Freeway and the Ralphs Marketplace successful Whittier. They moved to their existent determination successful 1990.
As quality gets retired that they’re shutting down, they are receiving hundreds of emails saying they’re bittersweet Oceanic Arts is closing.
“It’s been a paradise,” Van Oosting said. “Everyone who buys from america is truthful bittersweet we’re leaving. We were having truthful overmuch fun,.”
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