[Exhibition at] UCLA at the Armand Hammer Museum of Art and Cultural Center
May 13 - August 23, 1998
Dear Friends,
For millions at people, Disneyland represents the innocence of childhood. The Disney theme parks bring together a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, and experiences in an environment that feels comfortable and safe. Indeed, Disneyland's vast popularity and influence have made it a symbol of contemporary American culture, but few of us have noticed the many effects Disney has had on our society. We in Los Angeles – with our proximity to the original Disneyland – have adapted more quickly than the rest of the country to the themepark sensibility. Certainly, our mall culture, rainbow-colored suburbs, and even the tram at the new Getty Museum reflect the special delights of the Magic Kingdom.
The UCLA/Hammer Museum and the Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts are delighted to present The Architecture of Reassurance: Designing the Disney Theme Parks. The exhibition was organized by Montreal's Canadian Centre for Architecture under the guidance of Karal Ann Marling, professor of art history and American studies at the University of Minnesota.[…]
The exhibition grew out of material discovered by Marling in her three summers of research at the Disney archives in Glendale. Marling suggests that just as Disney's theme parks have expanded around the globe, so too have its architectural strategies spread beyond walls of the parks, providing new approaches to urban and resort architecture and changing the public expectations of both the cityscape and pleasure park.
While you won't find Mickey and Minnie in Westwaod, you will discover more than 350 neverbefareseen artifacts, including plans, drawings, paintings, and models, gathered from the Disney archives. In addition, the Museum and Center have planned a host of related events, including two weekends of family programming and a series of public dialogues.
[…]
[note]Check also the book
Designing Disney's Theme Parks: The Architecture of Reassurance (1997) which accompanied the exhibition.[/note]
