Grace Motif, an exclusive national distributor of specialty residential and commercial AV products has launched its own brand of video projection screens. Grace Motif will act as the exclusive worldwide distributor for Icon Cinema Screens for the residential, commercial, and custom installation market. Concurrent with this launch, the company has hired industry veteran Stephen Libin as vice president of sales, and will be responsible for all North American sales.
“Having extensively participated in the growth of the two-piece projection market over the last 15 years, and having successfully changed the definition and perception of what a good screen is, we felt that now was the time for us to take advantage of our market knowledge and dealer experience and create a new type of screen brand,” said Grace Motif’s CEO John Caldwell. “One that is built from the ground up with both today’s source technology and our dealer/installer needs in mind, Icon Cinema Screens is the culmination of our work in this market.
“Dealers can expect top-shelf service and generous value-added support. We will create superior value by providing ‘multi-line’ discounts for our dealers, who can incorporate our exclusive specialty projector and speaker brands into their projects. At Grace Motif, we are not just concerned with how the picture looks. Rather, through our products and personal service, we are committed to providing specialists with the ability to reconcile the entire audio and video experience for their discerning clients. So the value proposition is very high.”
Icon Cinema Screens have been designed in the USA and employ the latest technology for emerging market segments, like 4K projection, acoustically transparent, and ambient light applications. Icon’s line will initially include flat and curved fixed-frame screens, and motorized designs (on-wall/on-ceiling/in-ceiling) with a variety of state-of-the-art screen materials.
Twelve proprietary and purpose-driven screen formulations are included in the Icon launch, including low, unity, and high-gain whites and grays, 3D, rear projection, 2K and 4K acoustically transparent woven, and two “black screen/ambient light” formulations. Icon’s ambient light formulations include “ClearBlack” and ”HD Gray,” both of which will allow better fidelity in ambient-lit environments than previously delivered by competitors.
“I’ve known and respected John Caldwell for 25 years now, he’s one of the very best men this industry has ever seen, especially his ground breaking work for the last 15 years in acoustically transparent screens and projectors,” Libin said. “When I studied the specs, features, pricing, program, and overall strategy for his latest creation, Icon Projection Screens, I was totally intrigued and knew I had to find a way to be part of this project.
“These stunning screens, coupled with the outstanding Artcoustic ultra-slim on-wall loudspeakers, and the truly incredible Cineversum projectors make a powerful and compelling combination for dealers who pride themselves on staying one step ahead of the pack, in all respects—picture, sound, and most importantly, design—making the room come together in all aspects. Grace Motif’s tagline is at once timely and highly differentiating: ‘Luxury Technology for Designed Environments.’ I truly believe in this designed approach, and I am thrilled to be heading up the North American sales department. I invite all my friends and colleagues around the industry to contact me anytime with their questions.”
