The Pinata King
After 12 years as a baker, Tony Dominguez worked as a production supervisor for Cinema Secrets (a Hollywood prop company) where he collaborated in such films as Dracula, Water world, Apollo XIII, Casper, Barbwire, The Mask and Stargate among others. Since 1994, he started producing piñatas for retail businesses. Soon after, he realized there was a growing demand for Latino art productions and he expanded his services to include paper maché.
Through the expansion of his company, his desire to provide a creative outlet for the youth within the community developed into a way of life for those same youth, to show them that with their artistic skills, their dreams of success could become a reality. The same youth that would come after school as volunteers to help on paper maché projects, were now coming as employees who were receiving wages to help sustain themselves and provide a new source of income for their families. He felt a responsibility for his apprentices, having experienced the same difficulties when growing up in East Los Angeles.
The expansion into paper maché led to the founding of Arte Calidad. As Arte Calidad, Tony Dominguez and his young workers targeted the biggest Latino entertainment productions, but eventually expanded to mainstream concerts and events. Today, Dominguez is said to be the “general de papel mache...the greatest paper mache artist in the country, if not the world,” and Arte Calidad the “premier papier mâche and piñata makers in L.A. (and maybe the country).” LA Times, Sunday May 7, 2000
Arte Calidad
Arte Calidad is the brainchild of Los Angeles paper maché artist, Tony Dominguez. It was established in East Los Angeles in 1999 after a decade of manufacturing piñatas and small paper maché figures. Arte Calidad is now dedicated to producing paper maché in a more contemporary light, resurrecting an old craft using traditional techniques and applying them to the new work being produced.
Arte Calidad has developed into a brisk, high profile business with clients that include Coca Cola, GM, Shimano, as well as numerous state and local organizations. Arte Calidad has grown along with its clients' needs, offering stage props, stage design, product design and manufacturing specializing in the art of mold making and fiberglass casting.
Arte Calidad employs over a dozen artists. It has revamped the East Los Angeles artistic community, most notably in the traditional Mexican fine arts. The combined experience and expertise created by the diversity within Arte Calidad brings years of quality art production surpassed by none.
Dominguez Design Group
Between the years of 1999 / 2008 Dominguez founded Festival De La Gente “ The Nations Largest Day of The Dead “,Art and Music festival . This event was Held in Los Angeles on the Historic 6th Street Bridge and would attract upwards of 170,000 attendees on an annual basis. Dominguez would produce the event, raise sponsorships and develop marketing strategies for his corporate partners. With continued Demand for Commercial Art and marketing services Dominguez Design Group was created.
In 2008 Dominguez, Paper Mache Art was chosen to brand The Highly successful Restraunt Pink Taco Owned and operated By Harry Morton (Grandson Morton Steakhouse / Hard Rock Café and Hotel ) .His commercial clients have also included Urth café ,The Earnhardt Family (Arizona), Jerry Bruckheimer & Walt Disney Co. (G-Force ) along with Hollywood Action Director Mike Gunther to name a few . For three years KOR Development chose Dominguez as an artist in residence to help brand Barker Block, a ($75 million dollar development) His paper mache art and piñatas filled a 10,000 sq ft studio that served Barker Block as a destination for the arts district in Downtown Los Angeles. 2009 was the year Dominguez went on a national marketing campaign for Kimberly Clark displaying his works and producing events on a coast to coast campaign from Los Angeles to the big apple, New York City.
Mr. Dominguez has shown his art through out the United States and from the relationships nurtured he was selected to create three center piece piñata’s for “The Miracle on the Hudson” 1st year reunion party of US Airways flight 1549 Capt .Sully Sullenberger in New York City January15, 2010. Dominguez was also a speaker at the event .his works garnered attention from the New York Times , The Post and CNN , Dominguez and his team Worked in collaboration with Aventina Events and were chosen as Finalist for a 2010 Biz Bash Entertainment Event Award.
Today Dominguez’s art is currently branding national campaigns for clients such as Kimberly Clark and Kah Tequila .He also tours the U.S. providing piñata and paper mache workshops for Museums and Educational Centers .The project closest to his heart brings Dominguez full circle, “La Muerte Vive” is a (dia de los Muertos) rock opera that involves piñatas and animated paper mache puppets with music from Santos de Los Angeles .This project puts Dominguez back in the role of celebrating life and bringing art music and culture to fans on a national level. “Everyone can remember their first piñata” T.D.
Dominguez has lived up to his calling , ...the greatest paper mache artist in the country, if not the world," and Arte Calidad the "premier papier mâche and piñata makers in L.A. (and maybe the country)." LA Times, Sunday May 7, 2000
