| GOOD
GRIEF! THE PEANUTS GANG COMES TO LIFE AT CDM UNTIL SEPTEMBER
6!
Put
life's little challenges in perspective! Try being a kid who
has won only one baseball game, constantly battles a kite-eating
tree and is the owner of a dog who can fly a plane! Step into
the world of Charlie Brown and the rest of the PEANUTS gang
in the museum's new temporary summer exhibit, Good Grief!
The magical
world of the PEANUTS Gang comes to life as kids scamper through
the Pumpkin Patch, navigate the WWI Flying Ace’s plane
and fly kites to avoid the kite-eating tree. Both children
and adults will feel like part of the PEANUTS family, as they
experience Charlie Brown’s baseball frustrations, offer
bossy advice in Lucy’s Psychiatry Booth and play Schroeder’s
piano.
Visitors
of all ages are bound to find a character they relate to in
the exhibit. Frustrated Charlie Brown, bossy Lucy, cool Snoopy,
intense Schroeder and all the other PEANUTS favorites help
illustrate some of childhood's most important lessons with
unique educational activities specially designed for children
and their families. Like the PEANUTS comic strip, Good Grief!
captures the hilarity of life’s mishaps and provides
families with the same Schulz witticisms that have permeated
50 years of American culture.
This
exhibit was developed by The Children's Museum of Manhattan
in 2000. CMOM worked closely with Charles M. Schulz, creator
of the PEANUTS characters, to bring the world of Charlie Brown
and the gang to life. The result is an exhibit where children
learn ways to resolve the frustrations and concerns that are
an ever-growing part of growing up in the world today.
Whether
it's struggling to achieve top grades or trying to fit in;
vying for attention with siblings at home or feeling left
out at the playground, the pressures on children today have
narrowed the ever-shrinking definition of success. Recent
research has shown how pressured children are, but with corollary
issues such as kids' feelings that they are failures if they
aren't the best either at school, sports or in the arts, it
is increasingly difficult for them to resolve their concerns
on their own.
Good
Grief! uses the trials and tribulations of Charlie Brown and
his friends to help kids see the hope and possibilities even
if, like Charlie Brown, they always lose at baseball, or if,
like Peppermint Patty, they don't always succeed in school.
Through humor and games, the exhibit helps children and their
families develop problem-solving skills, and leaves them with
a heightened sense of compassion and empathy. Visitors will
learn methods that prove words and language are powerful tools
in solving conflicts.
Need
some advice on how to handle a situation? The doctor is in!
Visitors can become the doctor or the patient at Lucy's psychiatry
booth. While Lucy charges a nickel for her advice, kids and
adults select situations and discuss solutions free of charge.
For those who follow the beat of their own drum, step over
to a corner of the living room where Schroeder can be found
playing his piano. Visitors pretend to play along or experiment
with a clarinet and violin that play their own melodies.
The Good
Grief! exhibit aims to engage visitors in observing and understanding
others perspectives and to develop a sense of empathy. In
the PEANUTS’ distinctive, adult-free world, children
are empowered to solve their own problems together. And they
do. As kids navigate the exhibition, they build language and
decision-making skills to face hypothetical and real challenges
in a knowledgeable and prepared way.
No visit
to the exhibit is complete without taking a seat in the "Sopwith
Camel." Skillfully avoid the Red Baron as you feel the
wind in your face, just like The Flying Ace! Back on the ground,
encounter another one of Snoopy's alter egos, as kids dress
up to become the coolest of the cool - Joe Cool. Step onto
Charlie Brown's baseball diamond and get in some practice
at the ball toss. The Great Pumpkin is ready for visitors
in the pumpkin patch, where kids can sort and arrange vines
and pumpkins all night long!
Adults
will take particular interest in the gallery of comic strips,
featuring a retrospective look at American history and culture
with highlights of the changing times – the first walk
on the moon, the Women’s Movement, school integration,
the effect of cell phones, and more. The gallery pinpoints
Schulz’ genius in dispensing one-word wisdom, complemented
by a simple facial gesture. A commemorative panel by fellow
cartoonists, with biographical photographs of Schulz, complete
this snapshot of an American icon.
Through
creative exhibit interactives, children ages 2-12 and their
families get to know the PEANUTS Gang—and themselves—
in a whole new way. In addition to interactive games and activities,
families share their own memories of Schulz's creations through
several videos, artifacts and text panels that highlight the
PEANUTS gang from the 1950s through the 1990s.
The activities,
programs and - most importantly - the words of the exhibit
help us remember a key message from the PEANUTS comics: Navigating
the rough road of childhood is always easier with a smile.
Charlie Brown is quoted in the exhibit saying, "Trouble
seems to follow me everywhere." The response next to
it best sums up this wonderful new exhibit: "You're not
alone, Charlie Brown. Everyone feels that way!"
Good
Grief! was created with the gracious consent of Charles M.
Schulz, and the cooperation of Charles M. Schulz Creative
Associates and United Media. Good Grief! was developed by
the Children's Museum of Manhattan with support from Target.
The national tour of Good Grief! is sponsored by Target, with
the Chattanooga venue sponsored by McKee Foods, maker of Little
Debbie Snack cakes, Mohawk Industries and Sunny 92.3 FM.
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