Join us in celebrating the rich history of Connecticut cartoonists at the opening reception for The Westport Library’s fall art exhibits, followed by a keynote presentation by cartoonist and comics historian Brian Walker, on Tuesday, September 10. The reception kicks off at 6 pm, with the keynote presentation starting at 7 pm.
Curated by Walker with help from Library Exhibit Curator Carole Erger-Fass, these exhibits bridge the gap between past and present with Cartoon County: The Golden Age of Cartooning in Connecticut in the Sheffer Gallery and The State of Cartooning in the South Gallery. Both exhibits, as well as Art of the Album: Country in the Jesup Gallery, will be on display from September 7 to December 10.
Related: Westport Library Resource Guide: Cartooning in Connecticut
Cartoon County: The Golden Age of Cartooning in Connecticut will display works from The Westport Schools Permanent Art Collection, featuring more than 40 original cartoons by some of the area’s greats, including Dik Browne, Mel Casson, Stan Drake, John Cullen Murphy, Leonard Starr, Jack Tippit, and Mort Walker.
The State of Cartooning will display works by active members of the Connecticut Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society, including Greg, Brian, and Neal Walker, who carry the legacy of their father, Mort Walker, the creator of Beetle Bailey. Other featured artists include Ray Billingsley, Bob Englehart, Bill Janocha, Sean Kelly, Maria Scrivan, and more.
The Westport Public Art Collections (Westpac) comprises more than 1,800 works of art in a broad range of media including paintings, watercolors, drawings, prints, illustrations, cartoons, photographs, sculptures, and murals. Westpac features many notable artists, both national and international, some of whom have established homes and studios in the Westport-Weston community.
Westpac’s Cartoon Collection contains more than 120 original drawings for comics and cartoons by renowned masters of the art form. Many cartoons in the Westpac collection date back to the height of midcentury American cartoons. In this era before fax machines, scanners, and email, physical proximity to New York City was essential, as it served as headquarters for many magazines, book publishers, and syndicates. Benefiting from being only 50 miles from the city, many famous cartoon artists lived and worked in Westport and other surrounding towns in Fairfield County.
Special thanks to Westpac co-chairs Ive Covaci and Anne Boberski, and to the Drew Friedman Community Arts Center, for their continued support.
Cartooning in Connecticut
Comic Book Collecting
Art of Comics
