Although Peanuts Collector Club members love Beaglefests as a means of seeing friends that we ordinarily can only phone or e-mail,
the Saturday Sellers' Market never fails to draw a huge crowd, as was the case with the Beaglefest VII Sellers' Market, on July 6, 2002.
These articles are arranged from the most recent down, so you'll always find the newest news about Charlie Brown and his friends toward the top; older articles will be located further down, or on previous pages.
Beaglefest attracts worldwide following
July 7, 2002
By Andrea A. Quong
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat
The 4,000 fans and connoisseurs who belong to the Peanuts
Collectors Club are a genial lot when it comes to their shared hobby.
That hobby is collecting anything and everything, object or trivia,
about the cartoon created by Charles M. Schulz.
Every other year about this time several hundred of them converge
on Santa Rosa for Beaglefest, a four-day event to exalt both creation
and creator, and to bask in the company of like-minded comrades.
This year, collectors came from as far away as Hong Kong and
Australia to attend the seventh Beaglefest since the club’s founding in
1983.
On Friday afternoon, 240 club members waited for a glimpse (a quick
glimpse — the tours lasted only 15 minutes) of the Charles M. Schulz
Museum, which is nearing completion.
"All of them just want to come back here because this is a kind of
Mecca," said David Downard, a Santa Rosa shoe salesman who volunteered
to help run the tours.
Planners aimed for the museum to be completed long ago, but the
Beaglefest participants didn’t seem to mind that it wasn’t finished.
For Fanny Ko, who traveled from Hong Kong with her husband, it was
enough stand in a dirt lot and gaze through the glass at soon-to-be
greatness, a wooden panel featuring Snoopy in his many character roles.
Ko, a slight 33-year-old labor inspector, sported a Snoopy necklace
and a T-shirt reading "Curse you Red Baron!" She has been coming to the
"fests" ever since getting in touch with a like-minded fan through the
collectors club’s quarterly newsletter in 1996.
How did Hong Kongers get hooked? Ko paused and replied "McDonald’s
got Snoopy toys, so it became quite popular."
Camaraderie is a huge draw. So is the chance to score a rare find
at what many consider the main event, the Saturday seller’s mart.
"It’s pure insanity," said Derrick Bang, who wrote 50 Years of
Happiness, a Tribute to Charles M. Schulz, a book published by the club
that has raised $40,000 for Canine Companions for Independence.
This year, Bang said, he has an eye out for a couple of Christmas
ornaments he’s been coveting for his collection.
There’s also an unofficial market in the corridors of the
Fountaingrove Inn where the Beaglefest attendees are staying. "It’s kind
of like adult trick-or-treating," Bang said. "If the door’s open, you
can wander in and say ‘Hi’ and purchase stuff."
The buying and selling is "icing on the cake," said Victor Lee, an
insurance lawyer from Winnipeg, Canada. "For me it’s not about the
stuff. It’s a group to talk to and have fun with, people much like
yourself."
The gang’s almost here
Opening Aug. 17 Ready or not, Schulz museum will welcome public
July 7, 2002
By Tim Tesconi
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Electricians, landscapers and cabinetmakers are among the many
craftsmen working feverishly to put the final touches on Santa Rosa’s $8
million Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center that opens — ready
or not — Aug. 17.
"It’s been delays, delays, delays," lamented Jeannie Schulz, widow
of Charles M. Schulz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip.
She said the museum will open to the public in six weeks even if
every exhibit isn’t completely in place and some of the building’s finer
details aren’t finished.
"We have committed ourselves to a date and we will open," Schulz
said.
Peanuts fans from around the world are coming to Santa Rosa for the
museum’s grand opening.
The 27,000-square-foot museum will focus on the life and work of
Charles M. Schulz, one of the world’s most admired cartoonists. Schulz
made Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy and Linus household names and Peanuts a
cultural phenomenon.
Schulz, known as Sparky to friends and family, was Sonoma County’s
most famous resident during the last half of the 20th century. He died
of complications from cancer Feb. 12, 2000.
Plans for the museum and research center were under way before
Schulz’s death.
The two-story museum, under construction since the summer of 2000,
is located at the corner of West Steele Lane and Hardies Lane in
northwest Santa Rosa. It’s across the street from the Schulz family’s
Redwood Empire Ice Arena and near the studio where Schulz created his
comic strip.
Schulz’s studio — complete with his well-worn drawing board — will
be re-created in the museum.
Designed by C. David Robinson Architects of San Francisco, the
museum will include a 100-seat theater, classrooms and large galleries
with both permanent and temporary exhibits.
While Jeannie Schulz isn’t happy about the delays in construction,
she is pleased with the look and feel of the building honoring her
husband.
"It will be a warm and friendly museum that echoes Sparky’s
spirit," Schulz said.
The research center will be a repository for Schulz’s half-century
of work, a place where scholars can examine his creative genius,
inspirations and influence, said museum director Ruth Gardner Begell.
"We won’t be sleeping a lot between now and Aug. 17 but we are
going to live up to our promise to have a museum that reflects Sparky’s
work and contributions to cartoon history," said Begell, formerly the
director of the Vacaville Museum.
The Schulz family is paying for the building’s $8 million
construction costs.
Once the museum opens, it will operate as a nonprofit corporation
that will depend on admission proceeds and grants for its operating
budget. Admission will be $8 for adults.
Like most big and complex projects, the Schulz Museum faced hurdles
and delays that extended construction a year beyond the projected
completion date.
Early on, rainy weather delayed foundation and building work. Then
there were problems getting materials, like the black slate from West
Africa used on exterior walls and for flooring in some rooms in the
building.
Originally, the museum was to open in the summer of 2001. Then it
was spring of this year. Now, workers are racing to meet the August
deadline.
Carpeting is being laid inside, and outside, crews are landscaping
the 11,600-square-foot courtyard that includes a Snoopy labyrinth.
"It’s definitely in the crunch period," said Leonard Vasquez,
facility manager for the museum.
Please don’t sit on that masterpiece
Then again, maybe you ought to if it’s a park bench project
July 5, 2002
By Karen Pierce Gonzalez
The San Francisco Chronicle
For Mikayla Butchart of Santa Rosa, park benches are more than just
a place to sit. They are canvases for her and other young Sonoma County
artists in the Artstart program.
The five-week summer program, now in its third year, will employ 42
artists aged 15 to 20 who will design and paint 42 benches and two
murals celebrating life in Sonoma County. This summer’s project
concludes July 19.
Wages range from $7.20 to $7.65 per hour for an apprentice and
about $12 for an assistant lead artist.
"This program has given me a positive outlook on making a living as
an artist," said Butchart, a student at Santa Rosa Junior College who
has spent the last two summers as an apprentice artist.
This year she will serve as an assistant lead artist, working with
the program’s art director, muralist Mario Uribe of Santa Rosa, and
Sonoma County artists Mary Vaughan, Jesse Bilyeu, Monica Bryant and
Cathleen Swanson.
Giving young artists an opportunity to learn important employment
skills in the pursuit of artistic excellence is exactly what Artstart
founders Eleanor Butchart and Liz Uribe — whose children participated in
Santa Rosa High School’s Art Quest program — had in mind when they
created the program.
The two drew upon Chicago’s successful Gallery 37 — a job training
and education initiative in the arts for young people.
"Art programs such as this are based upon the idea that art is
vital to a community’s well-being," Uribe said. So is job training.
"That’s an important link," said Uribe, a self-described "longtime
champion of the arts" who is also owner of the American School of
Japanese Art in Santa Rosa.
Planning, problem solving, creative thinking, collaboration,
negotiation and project presentation are skills that can be transferred
to any career, said Uribe, who eagerly volunteered to help Butchart
develop the annual arts-based summer job program.
Apprentices, selected for their artistic ability, personal
presentation and portfolio, will work from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays.
Their bench, chair or wall designs must be approved, and they must meet
deadlines while cooperating with other artists and working under the
supervision of their mentors. About 70 young artists applied for the 42
spots. Selection wasn’t easy, as many of the applicants were
well-qualified, Uribe said.
The apprentices will participate in a one-week training program
where they warm up with self-portraits and get instruction in design
concepts and color.
The youth learn the fundamentals of public art from professionals
such as Uribe, whose murals can be seen in public places such as
Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.
According to results published by Gallery 37, arts programs where
youth are mentored by professionals create "an atmosphere of respect"
where the youth begin to better understand "their place as citizens of
the wider community."
In some cases this means gaining a familiarity with cultural
resources, such as local museums and libraries, and examining a
community’s history.
While the artist’s relationship to his or her community is
important, Butchart and Uribe also emphasize the value of developing
relationships with both the public and private sectors. Working with the
City of Santa Rosa — Art in Public Places, Artstart seeks public and
private commissions. This summer the program has commissions from the
Coddingtown mall in northern Santa Rosa, the Sonoma County Museum,
various sculpture gardens and the Santa Rosa Community Media Center.
A private bench commission costs $2,000 and a public city bench
runs about $2,500. Murals, such as the one created for the Railroad
Street bridge in Santa Rosa, range between $5,000 to $10,000.
Support also comes from Frank Howard Allen Realtors, Exchange Bank
and other private donors.
For Vicky Kumpfer, recreation specialist for Santa Rosa Recreation
and Parks and Artstart’s executive director, the nonprofit program lets
young artists express themselves while contributing to the community.
"Not only that," she said, "they are paid for their expertise and
gain valuable insight into what it means to be an artist."
The program is already gaining acclaim, including the City of Santa
Rosa Merit Award and a California Parks and Recreation Society Award for
Community Service Award.
Butchart and Uribe have visions of expanding the program to include
other pursuits, such as dance and literary arts.
Snoopy Finds a Home
June 30, 2002
By David Peterkofsky
The Washington Post
Has the world had enough Peanuts? Apparently not. Given the
enormous popularity of Charles M. Schulz’s comic strip, it’s no surprise
that the late Peanuts creator would be immortalized with a museum
dedicated to his work. It opens Aug. 17 in the cartoonist’s adopted home
town of Santa Rosa, California, north of San Francisco. Up to 300,000
visitors are expected the first year.
"Sparky was always very low-key about all of this," says Ruth
Gardner Begell, director of the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research
Center. "Being from Minnesota, he was never one to brag about himself
... He didn’t see his work as something to be preserved or as pieces of
fine art."
Nevertheless, the cartoonist okayed the museum a few years before
his death in 2000. San Francisco architect C. David Robinson created a
modest 27,000-square-foot facility that reflects Schulz’s low-key
personality and showcases his work without overwhelming it. Before he
died, Schulz approved the design, which includes approximately 6,000
square feet of gallery space, with permanent and changing exhibitions of
original strips and Peanuts memorabilia.
On a grander scale is the museum’s Great Hall, where larger works
have been installed, including a "morphing" wood bas-relief sculpture of
Snoopy that shows how Schulz tweaked the dog’s appearance through the
years. The timeline begins with a rendering of Spike, Schulz’s real-life
pet and the inspiration for Snoopy. There’s also a 17-by-22-foot mural
of Lucy holding the infamous football for Charlie Brown, made up
entirely of Peanuts images printed on some 3,600 ceramic tiles.
Visitors can see a re-creation of Schulz’s work studio, and the
museum will offer hands-on drawing exercises for children.
An 8-by-12-foot Schulz mural removed from a home that the
cartoonist lived in during the ‘50s will be a freestanding exhibit in
the second-floor gallery. Painted by Schulz in 1951, the panel features
early images of Snoopy and Charlie Brown.
Such treasures should help the museum boost the profile of Santa
Rosa, which is often overshadowed by Sonoma County’s wineries and rugged
coastline. Schulz moved to nearby Sebastopol in the mid-’50s and later
relocated to Santa Rosa.
Today, the cartoonist’s spirit lives on in this pleasant city of
138,000. The Redwood Empire Ice Arena, a gift from Schulz to the city in
1969, remains as a testament to his love of ice skating. Downtown in
historic Railroad Square stands a bronze sculpture of Charlie Brown and
Snoopy that was dedicated two years ago.
But the museum appears poised to surpass those attractions in
popularity. City officials say they’re ready for the fans, hosting a
mini-festival and offering hotel and restaurant specials during opening
weekend.
Meanwhile, with a museum capacity of just 970, Gardner Begell faces
a potential problem most museum directors only dream of having.
"We’re pretty terrified about how many people are coming," she says
half-jokingly of the opening festivities, which the museum is spreading
out between Aug. 17 and Labor Day. "Our fear is that it’s going to be
loved to death."
‘No-fly’ zone dropped for Open
Airport expecting traffic jams when ‘Snoopy II’ blimp takes off and
lands
June 30, 2002
By Wes Johnson
The Hutchinson (Kansas) News
There won’t be a "no-fly" zone after all.
Organizers of the U.S. Women’s Open had inquired early on about
preventing aircraft from flying above the Prairie Dunes Country Club
golf course during the four-day championship, which begins Thursday.
But Ed Wells, air traffic control manager at Hutchinson Municipal
Airport, said such a restriction won’t be in place.
"There will be no ‘no-fly’ zone over the golf course," Wells said.
"However, the tower will work with the golf organizers to direct
aircraft away from there during the championship. But there is nothing
official in place."
Since the events of Sept. 11, Wells said, a rule has been put in
place nationwide to keep aircraft from loitering over major sporting
events at low altitude.
"As long as an airplane is flying above 4,000 feet, they’re OK," he
said.
Hutchinson Police Chief Dick Heitschmidt said the initial proposal
to have a no-fly zone would have effectively closed down the airport
during the U.S. Women’s Open, except for a blimp that will televise the
event.
Instead, the Hutchinson tower will keep close control of aircraft
wanting to fly into Hutchinson, bringing them in away from the golf
course.
Although the championship may attract more than 30,000 people a day
to Prairie Dunes Country Club, Heitschmidt said that isn’t enough to
warrant fighter aircraft to patrol the skies over Hutchinson.
"It hasn’t been elevated to the level of the Olympics or a Super
Bowl, where they did have military flights that could intercept an
aircraft," Heitschmidt said. "We’ve had discussions with the FBI. Is
this at a level where they needed to consider that? No."
Wells said the Hutchinson airport tower crew will be aware of any
unauthorized aircraft that enters the Hutchinson area. The tower crew
would try to contact the plane, but Wells said he has no authority to
seek a military response.
"We would probably notify the local police if an unauthorized
aircraft showed up," Wells said. "We would also call the FAA in Kansas
City, but I don’t know what they would do."
The biggest aircraft-related problem local law enforcement
officials may have to deal with is traffic jams from curious motorists
who want to see the MetLife "Snoopy II" blimp.
Wells said the blimp will be moored at the northeast corner of the
airport and will be viewable from Obee Road.
Heitschmidt acknowledged it may draw crowds when the blimp takes
off in the morning and returns in the evening.
"They’ll have their own people out there with the blimp 24 hours a
day," he sad. "There may be some traffic issues the sheriff may have to
deal with."
The blimp is scheduled to arrive Monday evening but won’t begin
filming the championship until Thursday.
Peanuts namesake Schroeder dies at age 76
June 27, 2002
By Kermit Pattison
The Saint Paul Pioneer Press
Harold F. Schroeder Jr., a contemporary of cartoonist Charles
Schulz who may have inspired the name of the Peanuts character, has
died. He was 76.
Schroeder appears to fit Schulz’s description of a boyhood
acquaintance who was the namesake of the piano-playing cartoon
character.
"Schroeder was named after a young boy with whom I used to caddy at
Highland Park golf course in St. Paul," Schulz wrote in the 1975 book,
Peanuts Jubilee My Life and Art with Charlie Brown and Others. "I don’t
recall ever knowing his first name, but just Schroeder seemed right for
the character in the strip."
Harold Schroeder was born in 1926 and grew up in Highland Park. He
worked as a caddy at the golf course between ages 8 and 14, said his son
Mark Schroeder.
Schulz, who died at age 77 in 2000, was four years older than
Harold Schroeder. The future cartoonist lived in an apartment building
above his father’s barbershop at the corner of Snelling and Selby
avenues in St. Paul.
Mark Schroeder said his father and Schulz were not close friends
but acquaintances. Schroeder’s second cousin was Schulz’s baseball
coach.
Harold Schroeder initially discounted the possibility that the
character was named after him. He only became convinced when he saw the
Peanuts Jubilee book for the first time around last Christmas, said Mark
Schroeder.
"He said, ‘It’s got to be,’ " said his son. "There were no other
Schroeders in the neighborhood, and there certainly were no other
Schroeders who were caddies at the Highland Park golf course. He put on
a sheepish grin and said, ‘I guess so.’ There it was in black and white.
He was a black-and-white kind of guy."
The coincidences also were enough to convince Ruth Begell, director
of the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa,
California.
"He used to caddy at the Highland Golf Course? And he’s the right
age?" she asked. "It’s probably him."
Schroeder worked as an architect and lived in Shoreview. He is
survived by five children, two step-children and eight grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held 1 p.m. today at Sunset Funeral Chapel,
2250 St. Anthony Blvd., St. Anthony.
‘Explorer Lucy’ will start making her rounds
The traveling statue honoring Bancroft will be unveiled today at an
East Side blues festival
June 22, 2002
By Karl J. Karlson
The St. Paul Pioneer Press
This summer’s traveling statue in St. Paul’s "Looking for Lucy"
celebration will make its unofficial debut today at an East Side music
festival.
"Explorer Lucy," a joint creation of Minnesota adventurer Ann
Bancroft and TivoliToo art studio, is one of four or five
celebrity-designed Lucys that will be unveiled throughout the summer as
part of the city’s ongoing tribute to Peanuts creator Charles Schulz.
Bancroft, of Scandia, is currently on an adventure trip across the
Great Lakes but is expected back in time for the statue’s official
unveiling at the Taste of Minnesota festival in St. Paul.
"Explorer Lucy," which will visit area events throughout the
summer, sits in the back of a pickup truck, surrounded by penguins in
keeping with the theme of Bancroft’s polar expeditions.
"It’s done, although Ann has not yet signed it, but we thought we’d
get it out as soon as we could," said Lee Koch of Capital City
Partnership, the civic group that is overseeing the summer celebration.
The statue will be on display at "Moundstock," a blues festival
that runs from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Earl Street and Mounds Boulevard as
a fund-raiser for Portage for Youth, an after-school enrichment program
for young girls.
The celebrity statues are in addition to the 103 artist-decorated
Lucys, all but a handful of which are already on display around St.
Paul.
However, one statue, "Lines of Lucy," remains missing, and a fan is
offering a $500 reward for its recovery.
Jean Hunn-Collyard of the family-owned Key’s Café and Bakery said
she is offering the money because the theft is an affront to the spirit
of the event.
"These things are so much fun, so cute, I don’t know why one would
be stolen," Hunn-Collyard said. "What could be the reason?"
"Lines of Lucy," a classic Lucy in a blue dress covered with
handwritten famous quotes of hers, was designed and painted by Stephanie
Johnson of Alpine, Utah, one of Schulz’s granddaughters.
It was taken late June 4 or early June 5 from Mattocks Park at
Macalester Street and Palace Avenue. Its concrete base was found later
near Humboldt High School on the West Side. A witness said it was dumped
there by three to four people in an older white van that had a broken
right taillight covered with red tape.
Key’s Café and Bakery has sponsored a statue all three years of the
"Peanuts on Parade" celebrations, which have drawn thousands to St. Paul
to search out and photograph the statues.
"(Our Snoopy carrying a cooked turkey) was named for our
grandfather, Stanley, and last year’s Charlie Brown was ‘Busser Brown’
for our bus staff at the cafes. This summer, we have a gray-haired
‘Grandma Maggie’ carrying an apple pie, after our grandmother who baked
apple pies for the cafés," Hunn-Collyard said.
The "Grandma" Lucy is on display at the Science Museum of
Minnesota, while the restaurants’ Snoopy and Charlie Brown statues
rotate among the seven Key’s eateries.
Anyone with information about the missing statue can call St. Paul
Police Sgt. Fred Gray at (651) 292-3748.
‘Looking for Lucy’ update
Organizers say there are only four more Lucy statues left to go on
display "Glamorama Lucy," in front of the downtown Marshall Field’s;
"Mona Lucy," at TivoliToo, 2163 Ford Parkway; "Dear Lucy, at the Pioneer
Press on Cedar Street; and "Don’t Bug Me Lucy," which is to go in front
of the Science Museum of Minnesota on Kellogg Boulevard.
The signs that identify each statue and its sponsor are to be
applied to the statues this weekend.
A "Looking for Lucy" souvenir map will be available starting this
weekend at the "Doghouse" information booth at the plaza in front of the
Science Museum.
More than 4,000 visitors from 45 states and 20 foreign countries
have signed in at the "Doghouse" during its first two weeks of
operation, about 25 percent more than at this time last year. The
numbers show the summer tribute’s continuing popularity, says Ron
Pollworth, communications director of the St. Paul Convention and
Visitors Bureau, which runs the volunteer-staffed booth.
Reward offered in ‘Lucy’ theft
June 21, 2002
The St. Paul Pioneer Press
A $500 reward has been offered for information leading to the safe
return of "Lines of Lucy," one of St. Paul’s 103 "Looking for Lucy"
statues honoring Peanuts creator Charles Schulz.
The statue was stolen from Mattocks Park in the Highland Park area
of St. Paul in early June.
Its concrete base was later recovered on the West Side near
Humboldt High School, but the statue is still missing. It was designed
and decorated by Stephanie Johnson, Schulz’s granddaughter.
The reward is from the family-owned Key’s Café and Bakery, which
has sponsored statues in all three of St. Paul’s summer tributes to
Schulz.
Anyone with information about the theft or the statue can call Sgt.
Fred Grey of the St. Paul Police Department at (651) 292-3748.
Work to begin on new Schulz park
June 20, 2002
By Tim Nelson
The St. Paul Pioneer Press
Construction is expected to start Monday on the city’s planned park
and tribute to Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schulz.
The project, to be known as Landmark Plaza, will be built on what
is now a parking lot adjacent to Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul.
The City Council on Wednesday gave final approval to the project,
although it delayed a small city cultural grant that would complete
funding for work on the site. Most money for the $4.2 million project
will come from private sources and is already in place, according to
Patrick Seeb, executive director of the St. Paul Riverfront Corp.
The park is to be completed by the end of the year.
Tivola Publishing's new CD-ROM, 'Peanuts Where's the Blanket Charlie Brown?' hits national retail shelves this week
June 17, 2002
PRNewswire
Tivola Publishing, award winning publishers of children's edutainment CD-ROM games, announced today that "Peanuts Where's the Blanket Charlie Brown" hits national retail shelves this week. Major retailers that carry the CD-ROM game include ToysRus, Shopko, ZanyBrainy and the Musicland Group.
Linus' security blanket is missing and it's up to you and the Peanuts gang to track it down. Designed as "Play-Story," this new interactive game allows youngsters to play as Lucy or Charlie Brown. With Snoopy, players may discover hidden clues as they explore the library, drop into computer camp and catch the "Great Houndini's" magic show as they play and search for clues to find Linus' blanket.
"We are thrilled to publish a product that measures up to the high standards of one of the most important licenses and greatest character-worlds ever created," comments Tivola CEO Carlo Voelker. He further says "The timeless concepts of Charles Schulz combined with Tivola's genius for interactive storytelling makes for an incomparable product."
"The Peanuts gang and Tivola are a perfect fit," said Rita Rubin, Senior Vice President of International Licensing. "We are pleased to bring new, innovative and educational products to our loyal Peanuts fans of all ages."
Snoopy fans of all ages will enjoy the timeless humor of Peanuts as they learn valuable lessons through wit, humor and heart. Tivola's innovative concept includes never-before-seen animation, 9 games within the game and the Snoopy meter. The Snoopy meter monitors the well being of America's most popular Beagle, who needs to be taken care of for successful game play.
Tivola Vice President Eve Seber says "Kids build social and orientation skills, explore math and music concepts, develop problem solving and critical thinking skills while enjoying the 'real kid humor' of Peanuts as they play."
The nine games include
*** Musical Memory Game
*** Steer the Bus with Snoopy
*** Math and Pattern recognition Game
*** Supermarket Rally
*** Houndini's Greatest Trick
*** Catch the Beagle
*** Blanket Puzzle
*** Flying Game
*** Find the Book Game
Plus Color and Print and your Favorite Characters
"Peanuts Where's the Blanket Charlie Brown?" has been honored with the prestigious Spring 2002 Silver Award by Parent's Choice and praised as "delightfully different, admirably simple and endearing." RRP $19.99 ESRB Rating E for Everyone
Minimum System Requirements
PC Win 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP, Pentium 166 MHZ, 32MB RAM, SVGA-graphics card (16 bit,) sound card, sound card, CD-ROM-drive (4x speed,) 40 MB free hard disc space
Mac OS 8.1, Power PC, 32 MB RAM, graphics card (32.768 colors,) sound card, CD-ROM drive (4x-speed), 40 MB free hard disc space
St. Paul's profiles in cartoonage
Every Lucy statue has her own story to tell
June 16, 2002
By Karl J. Karlson
The St. Paul Pioneer Press
The Lucy statue that "melted" and a "Peanuts" statue sponsored by a Wisconsinite and the theft of a Lucy statue designed by Charles Schulz's granddaughter and a schoolgirl Lucy designed by a pre-teen and...
Every one of the 103 "Looking for Lucy" statues involved in St. Paul's third annual salute to Schulz and his Peanuts' creations has a story.
Here's a look at several of the behind-the-scenes tales about the city's 400-pound versions of Lucy Van Pelt, the usually crabby fussbudget who this summer had been made over into a welcoming presence with a big smile and open arms.
Border breaker
Motorcyclist Chris Brekken a Rosemount businessman who lives in Prescott, Wis. wanted to find a good Harley-Davidson dealership to deal with, so he bought one. It happens to be in Rice Lake, Wis.
And he really liked St. Paul's 101 Snoopy statues in 2000, so he bought "Hound Dog Harley" during the Internet auction that concluded the first city salute to Schulz. Then, during last year's "Charlie Brown Around Town" event, he bought "Fisherman Charlie" at auction.
"He wasn't a Harley theme, but I liked him anyway," Brekken said. "But this year I decided I would get what I wanted to begin with, so I sponsored Low Rider Lucy." A Low Rider is a kind of Harley.
The statue, on display in Rice Park in downtown St. Paul, is about 80 miles from Brekken's Rice Lake dealership, but he doesn't care. Brekken rationalizes it by noting that some of his customers are Twin Citians.
"Besides, it's all the metropolitan area anyway," he says.
Young designer
School Girl Lucy modeling a blue plaid school uniform in front of Donald's Apparel and Uniforms, 972 Payne Ave. epitomizes what many young girls wear to private schools in the area.
"It's perfect for us," said Barb Williamson, manager of the store.
Payne Avenue's longtime landmark store chose the design from about 800 possible Lucys submitted by artists, and the staff was pleased to learn that it was submitted by a youngster, Jennifer Perry, 12, of Mendota Heights.
Perry, who attends Friendly Hills Middle School, is believed to be the youngest person to have a statue design selected during the three years of "Peanuts" tributes, but she's not the youngest official participant. That honor goes to the 18 kindergarten students of Aaron Arredondo's morning kindergarten class at Adams Spanish Immersion School in St. Paul. The class painted the Mucho Colores (Many Colors) Lucy at the school from a design they helped create.
Perry, on the artist bio she submitted with her design, noted, "I am in the sixth grade, and I've been an artist all my life." Her best medium, she says, is watercolor, but doing a three-dimensional statue was no problem.
The original plaid she envisioned was red, but Perry changed it to blue to fit most of the school uniforms Donald's carries. The design was one of three that she submitted.
Peanuts Patrol
Brent Baethke is Lucy's guardian, a staff member of the Capital City Partnership, which is coordinating the city's celebration. Every day, he checks on the appearance of the Lucy statues, looking for items that need cleaning or repair.
So far, except for a stolen Lucy, the wear and tear has been minimal.
"These are pieces of public art, to be enjoyed, but they are so huggable that they do get damaged," Baethke says.
To this point, repairs have included replacing a few missing parts a scepter, a flower or two, sunglass lenses and the like.
But the most unusual operation has been the organ transplant needed on Gutsy Lucy, a Rice Park statue sponsored by physicians at Minnesota Gastroenterology, P.A.
Gutsy Lucy has a fenestrated front, i.e., a plastic window that shows her internal organs, such as heart and stomach and intestines, as if she were opened up in surgery.
"A bright sun one day slightly melted (the organs) and they had to be replaced," Baethke said.
The statue now faces north, avoiding direct sunlight on the stomach.
If you see a damaged or dirty Lucy, you can report it to the Capital City Partnership at (651) 291-5600.
Felonious theft
The thieves who recently made off one with one of the Lucy statues may get an unpleasant surprise and can expect serious trouble if they are caught, prosecuted and convicted.
The theft, even if a prank, is a felony, according to Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner.
Sponsors pay up to $7,000 for a Lucy, and one of the first memorial statues (a Snoopy) sold for $35,000 at auction two years ago, so whoever stole Lines of Lucy from this year's lineup has committed a serious crime.
"Its value is well beyond the $500 threshold for a felony," she said last week as police continued to search for the statue.
It was stolen about a week and a half ago from Mattocks Park at Macalester Street and Palace Avenue near Schulz's old boyhood home. Its concrete base was later recovered near Humboldt Senior High School on the West Side.
However serious the incident, Gaertner added, it is unlikely any Lucy-napper would go to prison. "I think we are talking about restitution, some jail time and probation," she said.
The missing Lucy was designed by Stephanie Johnson, one of Schulz's granddaughters.
The statue shows a classic Lucy in a blue dress covered with handwritten quotes of well-known Lucy sayings. Johnson, of Alpine, Utah, is expected to be in St. Paul soon and plans to do a replacement Lucy.
Lucy statue status report
Organizers hope to have all 103 Lucy statues on display by next weekend.
Statues left to go on public display are
Dear Lucy at the Pioneer Press, 345 Cedar St.
"Don't Bug Me" Lucy at the Science Museum of Minnesota plaza.
Grandma Maggie at the Science Museum of Minnesota plaza.
Glamorama Lucy at Marshall Field's store downtown.
Mona Lucy at TivoliToo, 2163 Ford Parkway.
Camp Lucy at the Mall of America in Bloomington.
A replacement of the purloined Lines of Lucy statue will be put back in Mattocks Park, though the completion date is not yet known.
Also, organizers hope to unveil Thursday the first of several special Lucy statues to be designed by celebrities. The new one will be a traveling Lucy that will visit community events throughout the summer. To schedule a possible appearance for the traveling statue, call Capital City Partnership at (651) 291-5600.
'Speak Softly and Carry a Beagle The Art of Charles Schulz'
Friday, June 14, 2002, through Sunday, September 15, 2002
The Appleton Museum of Art
(press release)
Organized by the Minnesota Museum of American Art, Saint Paul, Minnesota, and The Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center, Santa Rosa, California, the National Tour is sponsored by Hallmark.
This exhibit is the result of a unique partnership between the museums of Charles Schulz's two "home towns" the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, California, and the Minnesota Museum of American Art in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The exhibit illustrates how Charles Monroe Schulz revolutionized the comic strip and profoundly affected modern life through his single-handed dedication to the art, wit and wisdom of Peanuts. Original concept drawings for the strips, 40 original strips, tear sheets of historic, influential comic strips, extensive quotes from Schulz, a timeline of his life and selected Peanuts collectibles illuminate the story behind the creation of the popular and influential strip.
Charles M. Schulz's "Peanuts" characters have engaged generations of children and adults throughout the world. It explores Schulz's artwork, creative process and artistic focus. Original strips explore the major "Peanuts" characters, the development of their personalities, and the recurring themes that connected so deeply with the "Peanuts" audience, including Snoopy's evolution into Schulz's alter-ego. A timeline will graphically present major events in Schulz's life and the development of "Peanuts."
Selections from earlier cartoonists who influenced Schulz as a young artist reveal the dramatic contrast of his drawing style to the elaborately illustrated cartoons popular during the early 20th century.
The process of drawing a "Peanuts" strip is demonstrated with original strips and photographs of the steps Schulz took to create the daily and Sunday strips. Comparisons of his use of line in early drawings and later work show the evolution of his drawings and the increasing looseness of his line. Quotes from Schulz and clips from interviews give exhibit-goers a greater understanding of how he viewed his work and its impact.
Lucy Van Pelt from little lady to sidewalk sellout
June 13, 2002
By Laura Billings
The St. Paul Pioneer Press
The annals of art history are rife with work compromised by the patrons who paid for it. Botticelli's cherry-cheeked Madonnas sometimes shared the same frame with the craggy old cardinals who commissioned them. Rembrandt's greatest works were often just advertisements for Holland's Fortune 500 guilds. The Medicis were always messing with Michelangelo, demanding better product placement on the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
Now it looks as though St. Paul's long-running Peanuts public art project continues that fine tradition with its current "Looking for Lucy" extravaganza, which may be more aptly titled "Lucy for Lease." Viewing the 103 statues that will be on display this summer makes it clear which side of the art vs. commerce controversy Ms. Van Pelt comes down on. And really, of all the Peanuts, didn't you just know she'd be the one to sell out first?
Now, before I go on, I must point out that the "Peanuts on Parade" project has always been designed more for the benefit of the Chamber of Commerce crowd than those artist types who live in the lofts in Lowertown. Even so, the Snoopy exhibit two summers ago, with its van Gogh-inspired "Starry Night Snoopy," Keith Haring-hybrids and disco-ball dogs looked like the Whitney Biennial compared with this year's current crop.
For instance, children across the metro can now delight in "Let's Hang Drywall Lucy" sponsored, coincidentally, by a drywall company. There's "Take a Taxi Lucy," sponsored, as luck would have it, by a taxi company. There's "Lucy Loves Chocolate," sponsored, conveniently, by a chocolate boutique. There's even "Leasing Agent Lucy" (and isn't it every little girl's dream to grow up to be a leasing agent?) sponsored by, of all things, a leasing agency.
It's true, some of them are darling. "Sweeten Up Lucy," situated conveniently outside a candy shop, is so sugary-lollipop cute it could induce insulin shock. There's some fun wordplay behind "Gutsy Lucy," sponsored by a gastroenterology clinic, and "Tooth Fairy Loothy," sponsored by some pediatric dentists. "Low-Rider Lucy," sponsored by a motorcycle outfit, suggests some interesting narrative possibilities for the comic strip character that probably wouldn't make it in a family newspaper.
But most of these statues are about as subtle as Lucy's psychiatric advice. For instance, the Star Tribune's "Extra Extra Lucy" is holding up a newspaper. Not to be outdone, The Pioneer Press's "Dear Lucy" actually doles out newspapers, along with the good news that we're down to 25 cents a day, a dollar on Sundays.
Sure, that's a deal, but don't we look desperate, making a little girl do our dirty work?
I admit I've never been a great fan of this Peanuts project, but three summers of this stuff has proven something I never thought possible that there's a large, enthusiastic and appreciative audience for fun, accessible and even silly public art. St. Paul could use a lot more of it. And the permanent bronze collection of the Peanuts set for construction this fall should be just the start, not the end of it.
A lot of the Lucys look like nothing more than billboards for the businesses behind them, but maybe that's not so bad if she's the reason kids go on their first field trips to experience art. Let's hope their guides also teach them how to tell the difference between public art and public advertising.
Local artist gives Lucy a makeover
June 12, 2002
By Melissa Gilman
The Chanhassen Villager
As a life-long Lucy fan, Julie Skluzacek has collected Peanuts keychains, Pez dispensers, dolls and a cookie jar. Lucy Van Pelt is bossy and selfish so it's safe to say the Peanuts character was anxious to have her beauty replicated. Luckily, Julie Skluzacek paints fast.
"My family used to call me Lucy and my brother Linus, because I was very feisty like Lucy. My brother even had a blue blanket," Skluzacek said.
The Chanhassen resident was one of about 100 artists chosen to paint a Lucy sculpture in honor of creator Charles M. Schulz. When Schulz announced his retirement in 1999 people in Saint Paul started discussing ways to honor him. Peanuts on Parade featured 101 five-foot-tall statues of Snoopy painted by local artists. The sculptures dotted the Saint Paul landscape during the summer of 2000. Charlie Brown Around Town offered visitors 102 statues of Charlie Brown in 2001.
Now it's Lucy's and Skluzacek's turn.
"A lot of people know me as the egg lady. I paint all the wooden eggs for Easter, and other holidays (sold around town)," she said. "Most of the artwork I do is for just an individual or family. What's great about Lucy is that lots of people will get to see her."
The Lucy statues will be displayed at the Minnesota State Fair and around downtown St. Paul, the city where Schulz grew up.
Buck's Unpainted Furniture and Flannery Construction sponsored Skluzacek's efforts. Each sponsor must pay about $4,000 for the sculpture. Many of the statues will be auctioned off and those funds will go for scholarships at the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul and the Art Instruction Schools, based in Minneapolis. Proceeds also will help fund permanent sculptures of Schulz' characters.
Dream come true
Skluzacek's is clearly the home of an artist. Fluffy clouds and colorful butterflies are painted on the living room walls, and butterflies are pinned to the diaphanous white curtains.
A small shrine to Lucy greets visitors in the entryway. Peanuts playing cards are scattered on a table along with Pez dispensers, keychains, books, a cookie jar, salt and pepper shakers, Christmas decorations and dolls that pay homage to Lucy, Linus and a few other pals. Skluzacek drives a VW Beetle -- painted royal blue, à la Lucy's dress.
As a young artist Skluzacek wanted to be a cartoonist. But she felt she could never be concise enough to pull off a four-panel comic. Instead, she focused on painting furniture, interiors and other crafts. She was thrilled when the Schulz family accepted her designs for two Lucy sculptures. Her artwork would finally be seen by hundreds of people.
The artists gathered at the Excel Energy Center for a four-day paint-off at the end of May. The polyurethane statues are mounted on cement bases, are about five feet tall and weigh between 400 and 500 pounds.
Photos taken at the start of the paint-off show scores of Lucys devoid of color lined up and waiting for their artist. Each design had to be personally reviewed and approved by the prior to painting, and political, religious and commercial content was prohibited.
