Discover childhood love for cartoons at the Toonseum
By: Sierra Starks / Staff Writer
Posted on 20. Nov, 2009 in Magazine
The Toonseum
“Enchanted Drawings: A Century of Animation”
945 Liberty Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
(412) 232-0199
www.toonseum.org
Stepping into The Toonseum, you are greeted by an abundance of color. White walls, accented with teal and canary-yellow, a bright red ceiling and alime-green hall add to the childlike feel. A huge projector screen hanging from the ceiling plays vintage cartoons in black and white. A flat screen to your left plays more modern cartoons as you pay your $4 admission fee — a small price to be reintroduced to your childhood.
The Toonseum, Pittsburgh’s brave blend of museum and cartoon art, opened last weekend for those with a sudden urge to be a kid again. Once a part of the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, The Toonseum moved Downtown to Pittsburgh’s Cultural District to add its diversity of arts to the already plentiful selection.
The current exhibit, titled “Enchanted Drawings: A Century of Animation,” runs through Jan. 3.. It features original animated pieces dating back from the first animated character, Gertie the Dinosaur, to more modern pieces of SpongeBob SquarePants and even a Barack Obama caricature.
“Cartoons cross generational barriers,” Joe Wos, executive director of The Toonseum, said. “There is an opportunity for grandparents to share favorites like Little Orphan Annie, while kids share SpongeBob.”
Wos, who wore a Popeye the Sailor necktie to the museum’s opening, said that his passion for cartoons extends back to childhood when he used to “draw cartoons on his bedroom wall.”
Isaac Fisher, Pitt sophomore and cartoon enthusiast, agreed with Wos when it came to the enduring presence of cartoons and the role they play in regard to family.
“Comic books and cartoons were a medium through which my brother, sister, father and I all bonded,” he said.
He hopes the same will happen in other families that visit The Toonseum, “allowing for the sharing of stories and memories,” he said.
Each piece of art in The Toonseum tells its own story, reveals new heights of artistry and allows for reflection of the good old Saturday mornings in front of the TV, watching the cartoon line up.
“There is no student at [Pitt] who could say that [cartoons] didn’t play a role in their childhood,” Fisher said, stressing that cartoons aren’t limited to TV. He encouraged students at the Pitt to check out The Toonseum for themselves.
The Toonseum is not only a place to look at cartoons and reminiscence, but it’s also a form of delayed education, Wos said. “In Europe and Asia, cartoons are a highly regarded art form,” he said,adding that the U.S. is just beginning to recognize the cartoon arts.
“We don’t realize how much of an influence cartoons play in our current lives,” Fisher said.
Fisher included political satire and current film in his list of influences.
“Cartoons are a perfect medium to express complex and intricate philosophies and ideas,” he said.
As for the museum aspect, which should not be forgotten, Wos said that The Toonseum is a stepping stone in getting children to appreciate other museum experiences. Admission is $3 for children over the age of 5 and free for those below 5 years of age.
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