Summer at the Mulvane

This summer, the Mulvane Art Museum has a ton going on to please every member in the family.

Inside Peanuts: The Life and Art of Charles M. Shultz, which was scheduled to open on June 16, was opened early, and is open now, through Sept. 16. Charles M. Shultz was the creator of thePeanuts comic strip, which he developed throughout the 1950s. The exhibit, located on the main floor of the gallery, shows how he developed his characters as well as his process for creating the comics people would see in the newspapers.

It includes more than 40 Peanuts comic strips, Shultz quotes and photographs and selected Peanuts collectibles, which help to tell the story behind this popular comic strip. Examples of comic strips by artists Shultz looked up to, such as Milton Caniff and Elzi C. Segar, are included to show how these prominent cartoonists influenced Shultz when he was younger.

“Comic strips are an art form: a means of expressing an idea of a great truth in an abbreviated space,” Schulz noted in 1985.

On Saturday, June 23 from 1 to 4 p.m. the ArtLab, downstairs, is having a family day with drawing, painting and collage. The event is free to the public and participants are able to re-create their favorite Peanuts character, or design their own character.

On the second floor is the Crafts Nationals exhibit which has been open since May 5, and remains open until August 19. This exhibit is quite different than the Peanuts exhibit in that it showcases contemporary crafts by emerging and established artists from throughout the country. The mediums included vary drastically, including ceramics, glass, fiber, wood, metal and mixed media.

The ArtLab also has activities going on this summer in addition to the family day. Tuesday and Saturdays they offer workshops which cost from $25 to $50, depending on if you are a member. Summer art classes for people of all ages are available too, and to learn more about them, visit the website.

The Mulvane Art Museum is located at 17th and Jewell Streets on Washburn University’s campus.  The museum, ArtLab and Gift Shop hours are Tuesday 10-7, Wednesday-Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission to the museum and the ArtLab are free and open to the public. Free parking is conveniently located to the west of the Museum. For more information call 670-1124 or check the web site at www.washburn.edu/mulvane.