Pittsburgh– "The Art of Caroll Spinney," a new exhibit poised to open at the ToonSeum, explores the alternate career path that could have been from one of the world’s best-loved puppeteers.
Caroll Spinney, best known for his portrayal of Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird, has been with Sesame Street for more than 40 years.
During his puppetry career, he never lost sight of his first passion, the art of cartooning. Spinney brings his beloved characters into new realms through elaborate fantasy paintings, greeting cards and book illustrations.
The exhibit will offer insight into the life of Spinney and his work — from his early comics as a child and fanciful car designs as a teen, to his comic strip work in the Air Force.
Spinney began cartooning alongside his passion for puppetry. As a child, he pursued both equally with great excitement and persistence. In the 1950s, Spinney created the animated program "Crazy Crayon." He also wrote and illustrated the Air Force comic "Harvey." In the 1960s, he combined his love of performing and drawing as Mr. Lion on the "Bozo the Clown" show.
In 1969, Jim Henson approached him after a puppetry performance and said, "I liked what you were trying to do." That meeting led to Spinney’s hiring for the iconic characters of Big Bird and Oscar.
Even with the success of Sesame Street, Spinney never fully put aside his artistic ambitions. For instance, perhaps one of the most iconic images of the TV show — an illustration of "Mr. Hooper" — was drawn by Spinney. He also illustrated the popular Golden Book "How to Be a Grouch."
Throughout his career, Spinney designed cast T-shirts and greeting cards, many of which will be on display during this exhibit. In the 1990s, Spinney turned his talents to painting and produced several fantasy works featuring Big Bird and other Sesame Street characters.
"The ToonSeum is honored to present the works of Caroll Spinney," said ToonSeum Executive Director Joe Wos. "It is truly as if we are viewing a wonderful alternate cartoon universe where one of the world’s greatest puppeteers shows off his talents as a cartoonist."
The exhibit, which runs from Nov. 6 through Jan. 30, will feature original paintings, sketches and more.
Spinney will be in Pittsburgh the evening of Nov. 6 for the ToonSeum’s annual fundraiser "Ka-Blam! The Return of Saturday Mornings."
Ka-blam tickets available at www.ka-blam.org