Peanuts on Screen: The Art and Animation of Bill Melendez – 2 March 2006 – 30 April 2006

Bill Melendez has been working as an animator in Hollywood for more than 65 years. He started out at Warner Brothers in the 1940s and early 1950s, animating Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Sylvester the Cat, and Daffy Duck, then moving to UPA to do Mr. Magoo. But his real claim to fame is as the producer and director of the “Peanuts” animated television films, based on the Charles M. Schulz characters. Beginning with A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), Melendez was responsible for over fifty television films with Charlie Brown & Co., even taking on duties to voice Snoopy. This exhibition will present animated cels, art work and other material from Bill Melendez’ studio.

Hollywood Plays Itself – 16 March 2006 - 7 May 2006

Even though movies about Hollywood and the film industry have always been considered “box office poison,” filmmakers have never tired of holding up a mirror to the industry they work in. Serving as a geographical location and a symbolic space, Hollywood has been loved and hated in the movies, but usually what remains are the myths, the larger than life stars, the magical moments. Beginning with Merton of the Movies (1924) and Show People (1928), Hollywood has produced more than a hundred films, supposedly about the inner workings of the town, but more often than not just good pr., whether A Song Is Born (1937), Sunset Boulevard (1950), Singin’ in the Rain (1951) or recent examples, like The Aviator (2004) and Baasassss! (2004). This exhibit is being presented in conjunction with California State University, Los Angeles.