Political Peanuts (July 16 to December 1, 2008)
Baseball as Allegory (May 14 to November 3, 2008)
The Language of Lines (February 2 to August 11, 2008)

Charles Schulz lived through twelve presidential campaigns during his 50 years of creating Peanuts, and the presidential election years of 1960, 1964, and 1968 all found the Peanuts Gang contemplating a run for office or else actively involved in an election of one kind or another in the strip. Although Schulz was opposed to injecting politics into his strip in an overt manner, there were times over the years when he subtly or slyly commented on the process.

Schulz even foresaw the excitement over the first serious female candidate. . .by having Lucy bemoan the fact that another woman would probably beat her to the Presidential slot before she was old enough to run! This exhibition of 25 Peanuts strips highlight the lighter side of political campaigning.

>> CLICK HERE TO READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT POLITICAL PEANUTS

Exhibition Information

Schulz commented in an interview that when he created a sports-themed strip, he did not feel that it was dealing with sports. Instead, he said, “I use it as a springboard. Charlie Brown’s problems on the mound are emotional conflicts that everyone deals with.” Indeed, many important life themes—hope, perseverance, humiliation, and leadership —can be found disguised in the Gang’s often ill-fated baseball games. Get beneath the surface of Schulz’s epic baseball strips in this exhibition featuring over 70 original Peanuts strips.

>> Press release about Baseball as Allegory

Exhibition Information

Much of what readers interpret from cartoon art is non–verbal: they take their cues from visual iconography, a language they have learned but may not realize they know. For example, what has happened to a character with stars for eyes and how do we know that?

The Language of Lines examines this visual shorthand of comic art and its meaning. Elements of visual iconography include speed lines, sweat drops, footprints, dotted eyesight lines, sound effects, and thought balloons— specialized graphic devices that are used to represent human emotions and abstract ideas. This exhibition explores the use of visual shorthand in comic strips past and present, including Peanuts, Beetle Bailey, Pogo, Mutts, and Pearls Before Swine.

>> Press release about The Language of Lines

Co-curated by Brian Walker, co-curator of the critically-acclaimed exhibition, Masters of American Comics.

Exhibition Information