Zobeck Art Gallery

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Zobeck Art Gallery

The ZAG glowing in the evening.

Years Active	1247-1250 PR

The Zobeck Art Gallery (the "ZAG") was an art museum with a short lifetime in Upper Zobeck from 1247 to 1250 PR. Founded by Reese Lackmann, the ZAG might have gained more traction with the travelling exhibit Ancient Art: Alive! had it not been destroyed and Reese murdered the night before the exhibit's opening.

Halls of the ZAG

The Main Hall

Entering the main hall, you were greeted with the sight of a lifesize tyrannosaurus rex statue, inspired by a sighting during Reese Lackmann's honeymoon in Kiston. The statue lay between two rows of pillars of varying architectural orders. In the middle of the hall were easels facing a bowl of fruit, pottery wheels, and a pedestal upon which a rock slab is slowly chiseled away. These supplies were for art classes at the ZAG and any curious patron, embodying the message that art lives in the present and should be accessible by anyone.

"Good Boy." Artist unknown.

The Courtyard

Twin staircases led to the upper floor and the central Courtyard. While still indoors, the paved stones, large window, and glass ceiling left the impression of being outside. Scattered throughout were twelve statues by various artists, including Lackmann, contemporaries, and classical sculptors.

Arms and Armor

Lackmann believed the line between art and craft was blurry, and showcased various martial and simple weapons within the Arms and Armor hall. Mannequins in various ornate armor guarded the four corners, while the center of the hall held a jousting mannequin upon a mannequin horse clad in barding. Glass cases surrounded the room, filled with various weaponry, elegantly hewn wands, and delicate glass bottles with potions.

Rotating Exhibition Hall

"Celestial Guidance." Mara Helder.

The last hall on the upper floor rotated through temporary exhibits, including travelling exhibits that would spend a week or two in Zobeck. Notable exhibits included:

• Pelor: Reunited. The famous 18' x 6' triptych by Shaumar was briefly reunited for a tour of the realm. The three 6' x 6' panels of Helm (left), Eve (center), and Lathander (right), with Pelor in the clouds above spanning all three, are usually seen in isolation in their respective museums.
• The Artistic Legacy of Kragnux. A study of relics of Kragnux worship, with the provocative placement of depictions of Kragnux as a human and dragonborn side by side. Lackmann curated this exhibit himself, scavenging artifacts from East Levinkan's history.
• Ancient Art: Alive!. Prehistoric artifacts from a Pterish tribe of elves who traversed the desert at night and worshiped Sehanine Moonbow. It included jewelry, a statue of a manticore, and the sarcophagus of Paelias Amenruta. The sarcophagus was inscribed in a precursor to Elvish that read: "May Sehanine ever smile upon you. / May you ever rise for the light of the spring full moon. / And may your beast rise with you."

Hall of Portraits

On the main floor, the hall of portraits had two better known works: "Good Boy," showing a canine remaining with his deceased travelling companion, and "Celestial Guidance." Patrons that took the time may have noticed three celestials behind the woman in her garden.

Hall of Landscapes

"The Waters of Oblivion." Diero Marivaldi.

Opposite the Hall of Portraits was the hall of landscapes. Lackmann, as seen in his scuptures, certainly favored realism and verisimiltude, but gave wall space to other artistic movements. For example, "Midday" by the orcish, abstract expressionist Koroth held a prime place in the hall.

"Midday." Koroth.

The Brewtiful Bean

The Brewtiful Bean was an indoor café nestled between the portrait and landscape halls. It's logo was a crossed musket and rapier accompanied by the phrase "Slay your thirst." Elliot Lackmann, husband of Reese Lackmann, ran the café and made most of the cafe's pastries himself. This allowed him to poison pastries with sandroot, knocking unsuspecting victims unconscious so that Reese might sculpt them.

Fight at the Museum: Battle of the ZAG

On the night before the opening of Ancient Art: Alive!, five newly hired guards were given a museum tour and then poisoned. Reese did not intend for them to protect his art; he wanted them to become his art. With a magical pedestal in the main hall, he began sculpting one of these guards, drawing his life force into the pedestal. However, the other guards were more cunning than Reese expected. They broke out of their bonds in the attic, armed themselves with tyrannosaurus teeth, and fought past Reese's animated statues to reclaim their weapons from the Arms and Armor hall. Reese fought his best, animating the tyrannosaurus statue, but was outmatched. One guard rode the tyrannosaurus while smashing it to piecese with her battle axe, and another magically blinded Reese. They brought the mummified corpse of Paelias Amenruta into the moonlight shining through the Courtyard's ceiling, and Paelias revived along with his manticore, Koronet. Reese was killed, statues were reduced to rubble, jewelry was looted, glass cases were smashed, and a completely innocent horse mannequin was assaulted. Paelias and Koronet, alive with Sehanine's blessing for the night, left the building with the guards.

The next day, the Zobeck guard saw the destruction, Reese's body, and lack of precious ancient art, and declared there was a burglary and homicide. Elliot, when interrogated, claimed the burglars had come in between the museum closing (6pm) and the arrival of newly hired guards at 7pm. The case was quickly closed. Elliot sold what remained of the ZAG, paying damages to the Oppidan Cultural Board for the loss of their exhibit and using what remained to open The Brewtiful Bean in a new location.

Behind the Screen

The "Fight at the Museum" was a modified version of "Carver's Cave," a one-shot by Winghorn Press.