B(ART)
Jan 20, 2023 - May 28, 2023
B(ART)
Animating America’s Favorite Family
Jan 20 – May 28, 2023
Admission: Visit for FREE with a TMA membership, starting as low as $15 for the year.
One-day passes also available at $10.
B(ART) is an unauthorized and in-depth look at the artwork created for America’s longest-running primetime animated television show. Set in the fictional town of Springfield, the show explores the life of a working-class family through parodies of American culture and society, television, and the human condition.
The exhibit displays the art of creating hand-drawn 2D animation on sheets of transparent plastic called cels. Each cel features one drawing with an outline on the front side of the plastic and the color filled in on the backside. These cels are then placed over a background and photographed in sequence. When played back at a speed of 24 frames per second, they create the illusion of movement. The TV show’s production used cel animation during seasons 1 – 13. Since season 14, the TV show embraced advancements in technology and uses a digital system, which eliminates the need for cels and the hand painted process.
This collection is on loan from Bill Heeter and Kristi Correa.
Thank you also to the Turner Family, Brenda Woveras, Craig Schueffner, and the Sandra & Monroe Trout Art Exhibitions Endowment Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region.
Group Tours & Field Trips We’re excited to see your class or group at the Trout Museum of Art! Learn more here.
B(ART) Pub Quiz
This event has passed.
Feb 16 | 6-89PM
Free & Open to the Public!
Test your trivia knowledge! Hosted by America’s Pub Quiz.
Collector Conversation with Bill Heeter
This event has passed.
Feb 25 | 1PM
Free & Open to the Public!
You can watch the full talk on our Instagram!
Bill Heeter is a 30-year collector of animation art from a variety of classic cartoons, including all 200+ B(ART) cels!
Moderated by Dr. Jesus Smith, Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies at Lawrence University.
B(ART) After Dark
This event has passed.
Mar 10
7-10PM
Free & Open to the Public!
No kids at this event—but you can still let your inner Bart out! Dress in your favorite B(ART) inspired color and enjoy music, a drink from Moe’s Bar, and every themed game you can imagine.
