Even though the Academy Awards are quickly approaching, excited fans don’t have to wait until March to see the famous golden statuettes.
Presented by the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences, “Meet the Oscars: The 50 Golden Statuettes” is an exhibition showcasing the coveted awards which will be handed out on March 5, as well as other Academy Award-related displays.
The newly minted statuettes that are hand-made each year–by Chicago-based R.S. Owens and Company–are currently on display in New York’s Times Square Studios (44th St. and Broadway). They will be shown here through Feb. 1.
The exhibition gives guests the chance to hold the statuettes. Each eight-and-a-half pound Oscar stands 13-inches tall and is made of gold-plated britannium, a metal alloy.
“They’re shinier and look better-made,” Marcia Fokas, 55, a lawyer from Queens told The Associated Press. “I think it’s good they’re coming to New York…I think jaded New Yorkers take this in stride because we see this kind of stuff all the time, but to out-of-towners, this would seem special.” In addition, there will be a gallery of photographs featuring past winners; some memorabilia will even be available for purchase.
Next, the statuettes will be shipped to Los Angeles on Feb. 2 via United Airlines’ “Flight of the Oscars,” where they will be on display starting Feb. 10 on the third level of the Hollywood & Highland Center.
The highly anticipated Academy Awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, March 5, at the Kodak Theatre. ABC will televise the awards beginning at 5 p.m. PST.
