Charles M. Schulz Museum Exhibits:

Current Permanent Future Past Online Other Peanuts Exhibits Traveling Exhibits Program
Take a Hike, Snoopy (February 17 to June 13, 2010)
How Cartoonists Create Imaginary Places (April 24 to August 22, 2010)
Youth culture (May 19 to September 20, 2010)

Future Exhibitions


Take a Hike, Snoopy
February 17 through June 13, 2010
Upstairs Changing Gallery

Schulz introduced Snoopy in his role as the Beagle Scout on May 13, 1974—although, truth be told, Snoopy was at the time only a “tenderpaw.” It wouldn’t be long however, until Snoopy reached the pinnacle: Beagle Scout. In this exhibition, learn how Schulz’s portrayal of the Beagle Scout changed over 25 years and enjoy related ephemera and objects.

>> PRESS RELEASE FOR TAKE A HIKE, SNOOPY

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The Language of Lines: Imaginary Places in the Comics
April 24 through August 22, 2010
Downstairs Changing Gallery

From the richly detailed flora and fauna of Pogo’s Okefenokee Swamp to the minimalist surroundings of Peanuts, cartoonists have created unique environments in which their characters live, work, and play. Among the most memorable comic strip locales are Li’l Abner’s Dogpatch, Krazy Kat’s Coconino County, and Beetle Bailey’s Camp Swampy. This is the final exhibition in the Language of Lines trilogy, co-curated by cartoon historian Brian Walker.

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Youth Culture
May 19 through September 20, 2010
Strip Rotation Gallery

Explore how Peanuts reflected five decades of contemporary youth culture, from coon skin caps and 3–D glasses to cool jazz, surfing, and even Harry Potter books. Schulz also kept up with “happening” celebrity personalities and found a way to include everyone from Dr. Spock to Michael Jackson in his strip. Relive the decades of Peanuts in this exhibition of 70 original strips.

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From Highland Park Caddy to Pebble Beach Celebrity:
Schulz and the Game of Golf
June 16 through October 10, 2010
Upstairs Changing Gallery

Sports were important to Charles Schulz, and golf was one of his favorite games. He reported in 1967, “The things I like to do the best are drawing cartoons and hitting golf balls.”  From playing on his high school golf team to his late-in-life weekly foursome, Schulz not only enjoyed the game, but he excelled at it. This exhibition features photographs and memorabilia of Schulz’s game and also looks at how he portrayed golf in Peanuts, as Snoopy assumed the role of “World Famous Golf Pro.”

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Peanuts . . . Naturally
August 28, 2010 through January 23, 2011
Downstairs Changing Gallery

How many suns? Is the Earth flat? Charles Schulz touched on many aspects of
the natural world during the nearly fifty years he created Peanuts. Some of the characters’ cockamamie understandings of the world around them afforded Schulz many opportunities to introduce his readers to fun facts about the natural world. Explore the natural world in Peanuts strips, posters, and activity centers.

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Failed Experiments in Peanuts
September 22, 2010 through February 21, 2011
Strip Rotation Gallery

Charles Schulz tested the bounds of his comic world from time to time but quickly learned to discard characters (the extremely loud Charlotte Braun and Faron the cat, for example), themes (Linus’ glasses), and portrayals (Lucy and Charlie Brown’s “google” eyes) that distracted from the strip. Take a look at these little-remembered Schulz experiments in this exhibition featuring 60 original Peanuts strips.

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Portraits of Schulz
October 13, 2010 through February 6, 2011
Upstairs Changing Gallery

View paintings, drawings, and caricatures of Schulz by his friends and contemporaries. Portraits of Schulz will coincide with the donation of a photograph of Charles M. Schulz to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., in October 2010—the 60th anniversary of the Peanuts comic strip’s debut.

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Sibling Relationships in the Comics
January 29 through May 22, 2011
Downstairs Changing Gallery

Because relationships between brothers and sisters can be the most intense, rewarding, and challenging in a person’s life, they provide cartoonists with extremely rich comic possibilities. Sibling Relationships examines the depiction of siblings throughout the history of cartoons with special emphasis on the brothers and sisters in Peanuts: Lucy, Linus, and Rerun Van Pelt, and Charlie and Sally Brown.

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Turn Another Page
February 9 through June 5, 2011
Upstairs Changing Gallery

With the great success of Peanuts, Charles Schulz’s other artistic endeavors often get overlooked. This exhibition introduces the visitor to other facets of Schulz’s creativity through the display of his illustrated manuscripts, paintings, advertising art, and early one-panel cartoons.

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Peanuts Philosophies
  February 23 through June 20, 2011
Strip Rotation Gallery

Peanuts is chock full of pint-sized philosophers. From Sally’s irreverent “three” philosophies—“Life Goes On,” “Who Cares,” and “How Should I Know?”—to Linus’s frequent pontifications on the meaning of it all, the Peanuts Gang holds forth on their personal beliefs.

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Comic Art in Fine Art


"Who Let the Dots Out"
by Tom Everhart

May 28 through October 30, 2011
Downstairs Changing Gallery

This exhibition examines the intersection between fine art and cartoon art in the works of such artists as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. Co-curated by the Sonoma State University Gallery Director and Professor of Art History, Michael Schwager, Comic Art in Fine Art will feature two and three-dimensional works of art.

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Creating Holograms from Schulz Original Art
June 8 through October 2, 2011
Upstairs Changing Gallery

Creating Holograms presents a behind-the-scenes look at how the Schulz Museum’s birdbath hologram in the back courtyard was created by sculptor-in-light Michael Hayden. This exhibition will include the Peanuts strips from which the line drawings were taken to create the holograms and drawings, as well as diagrams of how holograms are made and how they work.

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The Games Children Play
  June 22 through November 28, 2011
Strip Rotation Gallery

This exhibition explores how, in addition to sports, play is portrayed in Peanuts.  Early strips find the Gang involved in imaginative play as they prepare for a martian attack, and a later series of strips find them engrossed in a rousing game of “Ha Ha Herman.” In between they shoot marbles, build snow forts, and fly kites.

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All About the Reubens
October 5, 2011 through January 29, 2012
Upstairs Changing Gallery

In Charles Schulz’s storied career he won not one, but two Reuben Awards (1955 and 1964) given by the National Cartoonists Society for outstanding cartoonist of the year, the highest honor that the profession bestows. Discover who the past winners have been and who, along with Schulz, has won on multiple occasions.

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Leveling the Playing Field
  November 6 , 2011 through April 29, 2012
Downstairs Changing Gallery

The 40th anniversary of Title IX is in 2012, and although Schulz didn’t lead the campaign for equality for women’s sports, he did bring attention to women athletes in a variety of ways. Schulz’s girl characters played sports (some quite badly!), he mentioned women’s sports stars, and he even gave a nod to Title IX in some Peanuts strips. This exhibition will also detail Schulz’s daughters' involvement in sports and the women’s tennis tournament he sponsored at the Redwood Empire Ice Arena.

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Snoopy Hits the Road
 

November 30, 2011 through April 2, 2012
Strip Rotation Gallery

In addition to his numerous road trips—including striking out for a visit with Spike in Needles, California; walking south with Woodstock during the migration season; and his ill-fated travels to the Grenoble Olympics in France—Snoopy also set off for the moon! Snoopy’s most famous road trips will be revisited in the 65 original Peanuts strips featured in this exhibition. The full-length animated feature, Snoopy, Come Home!, will run concurrent with this exhibition in the Museum's Theater.

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It's a Fine Line
  February 1 through June 3, 2012
Upstairs Changing Gallery

It's a Fine Line includes an examination of Schulz’s pen line and a display and description of his “tools of the trade.” It will incorporate how he learned his technique and how his pen line changed over time due to health considerations.

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Play Clothes
  April 4 through August 6, 2012
Strip Rotation Gallery

How does clothing reflect a character’s personality or persona—like Peppermint Patty’s sandals or Snoopy’s goggles and helmet for instance? When and why do the characters change from their normal attire? And what’s up with the Gang's winter clothing? It remained virtually unchanged for nearly 50 years! Play Clothes examines the different clothes and corresponding situations with a display of original Peanuts strips.

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Snoopy and the Red Baron
  May 5 through October 28, 2012
Downstairs Changing Gallery

The World War I Flying Ace first zoomed into Peanuts on October 10, 1965, and with his signature catchphrases—“Curse you, Red Baron!” and “I’ll get you, Red Baron!”—he became one of Snoopy’s most popular alter egos. Learn more about the World War I era while laughing at the Flying Aces’ antics as he attempts to evade the skillful and cunning Red Baron.

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International Peanuts
  June 6 through September 30, 2012
Upstairs Changing Gallery

How effectively does Peanuts translate to different languages and cultures? In some cases even the title, Peanuts, is changed! International Peanuts will allow Museum and “cyber” visitors to weigh in on the “translation” of the characters and humor of the strip in other cultures and languages.

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Anthropomorphism in Peanuts
  August 8 through December 3, 2012
Strip Rotation Gallery

The Peanuts strip entered a new realm of abstraction when Sally’s schoolhouse, the soft ball mound, trees, and Charlie Brown’s kite and baseball glove, all started to do the talking (or thinking!). The exhibition takes a closer look at Schulz’s use of anthropomorphism in 70 original Peanuts strips.

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The Gifts Schulz Gave
  October 3, 2012 through February 3, 2013
Upstairs Changing Gallery

The Gifts Schulz Gave features gifts that Sparky gave to family and friends throughout his lifetime, including hand-drawn birthday cards, drawings of Peanuts characters, and even comic strips.

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Useable, Loveable Peanuts
  November 3, 2012 through April 28, 2013
Downstairs Changing Gallery

Learn the fascinating history of the development of Schulz’s art into three-dimensional products, and the key role played by entrepreneur Connie Boucher and her company, Determined Productions, Inc., in developing the branding and merchandising of Peanuts products in the early 1960s.

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Peanuts Celebrations
  December 5, 2012 through April 1, 2013
Strip Rotation Gallery

Enjoy the holidays as celebrated by the Peanuts Gang! Halloween, Veterans Day, Christmas, New Year's Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, and more have all been observed in Peanuts strips. The 70 original strips in this exhibition feature the Great Pumpkin vigil, the Easter Beagle’s joyous romp, and ringing in the New Year with Snoopy and Woodstock.

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