Speak Softly and Carry a Beagle: The Art of Charles Schulz

Minnesota Museum of American Art

Saint Paul, MN

651-292-4355

http://www.mtn.org/MMAA/index.html

Speak Softly and Carry a Beagle: The Art of Charles Schulz

Charles Schulz's development as an artist and the art of cartooning will be explored during the MMAA's exhibition, Speak Softly and Carry a Beagle: The Art of Charles Schulz, February 18 - May 13, 2001.

Charles M. Schulz's "Peanuts" characters have engaged generations of children and adults throughout the world. The MMAA's exhibition, which has been in the planning stage for the past six months, has been created in partnership with the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, California, and will explore Schulz's artwork, creative process and artistic focus. Over 50 original strips will explore the major "Peanuts" characters, the development of their personalities, and the recurring themes that connected so deeply with the "Peanuts" audience, including Snoopy's evolution into Schulz's alter-ego. A timeline will graphically present major events in Schulz's life and the development of "Peanuts." (left: PEANUTS (c) United Feature Syndicate, Inc.)

Selections from earlier cartoonists who influenced Schulz as a young artist will reveal the dramatic contrast of his drawing style to the elaborately illustrated cartoons popular during the early 20th century.

The process of drawing a "Peanuts" strip will be illustrated with original strips and photographs of the steps Schulz took to create the daily and the Sunday strips. Comparisons of his use of line in early drawings and later work will show the evolution of his drawings and the increasing looseness of his line. Quotes from Schulz and clips from interviews will give exhibit-goers a greater understanding of how he viewed his work and its impact.

In addition, the exhibition will reveal how Schulz maintained control of "Peanuts" characters as they grew from two-dimensional cartoons into three-dimensional icons and animated characters. Books and videos as well as interpretive materials, both about Schulz and by him, will provide additional insight into the development of "Peanuts." The public will also be invited to contribute their "Peanuts" experiences through stories or cartoons that will be added to a special area of the exhibition.

Speak Softly and Carry a Beagle: The Art of Charles Schulz opens Sunday, February 18th, 2001 with a special "Family Day" event in Landmark Center.

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This page was originally published in Resource Library Magazine. Please see Resource Library's Overview section for more information. rev. 4/6/11

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