There are only three museums dedicated to cartoon art in America. California has two, and Pennsylvania has one. ToonSeum: Pittsburgh Museum of Cartoon Art was originally part of the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh in 2007. In 2009, it moved to its current location in the Cultural District downtown.
The ToonSeum is now hosting Care Bears: 30 Years of Caring... and Hugs through August 26. The Care Bears debuted on greeting cards by American Greetings Corporation in 1982, so 2012 marks their 30th birthday. The lovable characters embody different emotions and have personalized symbols called belly badges. Grams Bear's belly badge, for instance, is a pink rose with a yellow bow.
The 80s were a big time for the Care Bears. Various toys, a television series, and three movies brought these cuddly creatures from the far clouds of Care-A-Lot into the homes of millions. Unfortunately, the ToonSeum's exhibit fails to cover Care Bear history or inform its audience about the creators. One of the museum's staff members states that American Greetings Corporation is secretive about its artists, yet the fact that Elena Kucharik was the lead artist and developer of the Care Bears is no secret. Her signature appears on several of the illustrations, and other signatures include Colton and Mead. Their full names, however, did not turn up in internet searches.
Not a single item in the exhibit has an object label. Even if American Greetings Corporation is not willing to disclose the full names of its artists, the museum should be responsible for labeling items to the best of its ability and informing the audience about what is in front of them. The ToonSeum also claims that the exhibit is friendly to those of all ages. Judging by the subject matter, that's true. It speaks to adults who grew up with the characters and to children who can view the new show Care Bears: Welcome to Care-A-Lot on The Hub TV Network.
However, all illustrations and animation stills hang at a level comfortable for adult viewers. Only two glass cases of a plush Tenderheart teddy bear and an assortment of Care Bear toys meet the eyes of children. If this exhibit is meant to speak to both children and adults, object labels should inform a mature audience, and images should be easily visible to children.
It is exciting to get a glimpse of original illustrations and animation stills, but it is also disappointing to leave an exhibit feeling the need to do more research because the museum neglected critical information. What are the different media used by illustrators? Some look like watercolor, others marker. What movies are the animation stills from? Failure to display this information isn't due to American Greetings Corporation's secrecy. The ToonSeum should simply take more care to present this work in a professional way, especially for the integrity of these lovable bears who care so much.
All images copyright American Greetings 2012.
The little clouds painted above the illustrations in the second picture were a cute idea, but at first I thought they were areas of paint chipping on the walls. I do find the metal wall hangings a bit distracting, too.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen any other exhibitions and the ToonSeum?
I have not, though I might try to go again when the ToonSeum has another exhibit. Maybe they have reasons for displaying things the way they do. I just can't come up with any good ones. I had asked one employee about the illustrations' artists; she replied with the secrecy remark. I also asked her about animation stills. Simply, what are they, in terms of medium? She explained. Do they assume people just know these things? Maybe. Maybe the museum wants to display this work for the most basic visual consumption. I stand by my position, though, that informative text would make for a more engaging experience.
DeleteI wonder if perhaps you were there during a soft opening? We open exhibits while we are still installing additional material so that is possible? There were two text panels and we point most guests to the resource book on the rear display case that has the complete history, character guide, color keys and more. It is very thorough.
ReplyDeleteWe are all volunteer organization and it does sound like you got a new volunteer, as all our staff is trained on not just what a cel is but the entire process of animation! The cels are an acrylic based paint on celluloid acetate. The Care Bear greeting card art is acrylic on artist board the watercolor look and feel is accomplished through a simple wash. There were some pieces that were pencil sketches.
The reason for the metal wall hanging is actually pretty simple, it allows us to do a couple of things. 1. Allows us to swap out exhibits quickly. We change exhibits every two months so its a rapid change over that allows us to stay open during installations and not have to repaint the walls. The second reason you may have noticed, a few times during each exhibit we adjust the height of the exhibit for our guest in wheelchairs as well as kids who normally dont get the full experience of a gallery because of the height of the art. It is less distracting in person as guests tend to focus on the art.
I hope you will visit our batman exhibit or give another try. Please let us know and just one more piece of advice as a journalist/blogger, always identify yourself to a gallery museum, most of the art on display is protected by copyright and while we do allow photographs, there are some pieces that we are not able to allow to be reprinted or posted without permission. As you continue working as a journalist in the art world, it is something you will run into frequently so always best to ask first and if needed get a permission form or release.
Best of luck,
Joe Wos
Executive Director
The ToonSeum
joe@toonseum.com
Thank you for your valuable input, Mr. Wos.
DeleteI went to the museum on the previous Wednesday, July 11, of my post date. I saw two text panels, one that credited the curators and another creative/poetic piece that helped launch my imagination into the realm of Care-A-Lot. I also saw and flipped through the resource book on the rear display case. I noticed it was divided into sections by character, and I basically looked at the pictures of the bears and moved on, so I could have been more thorough myself to take note of the historical information it includes.
Notably, I neglected that rear display case in my post altogether. The items in it are obviously part of the exhibit and are visible to children. I actually didn't realize this until just now when I looked back at my pictures.
The volunteer was helpful in explaining the animation cel and actually held up an example that was sitting nearby, unframed. As a viewer, I usually expect this information to be available without having to ask, but she was knowledgeable. I also think that individual object labels are a crucial part of any exhibit. From the manufacture date of each toy to the particular movie that each animation cel is from... these are things I am interested in and look for.
Since I do not know cartoon art especially well, I hope to learn more from the ToonSeum, and I will definitely visit again. I also appreciate your helpful advice; I will make good use of it.
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