Kip Fulbeck, an artist, spoken word performer, filmmaker, author and professor, shares some footage from his home movie collection as part of CAAM’s Memories to Light: Asian American Home Movies initiative. Fulbeck is the author of several books including Mixed: Portraits of Multiracial Kids; Part Asian, 100% Hapa and Permanence: Tattoo Portraits. His film titles include Banana Split and Lilo & Me. He teaches art at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Fulbeck tells us that one of his favorite memories from his visit to Santa’s Village when he was 7 years-old was spending time with his dad:
“I was around Ma every day, but Dad was an English professor and world traveler/explorer…he was gone a lot. But he’d come back and come up with these really cool mini-trips like this one, [and] to Solvang, trout fishing, Marineworld, etc. He’d always buy me some candy and instead of come with me on rides he’d stand back and film. I miss him.”
After all, isn’t that what the holidays are about? Making memories with loved ones, whether it’s a trip somewhere or staying at home.
Footage taken of Kip Fulbeck by his father at Santa’s Village in Skyforest, CA, c. 1972. Santa’s Village opened two months before Disneyland in 1955 and closed in March of 1998 due to low attendance. The park is scheduled to re-open in 2016 as “Skypark at Santa’s Village.”