See Rare Grinch and Simpsons Art in Dayton

Most of us can remember gathering around the TV to catch our favorite Christmas specials, watching Frosty come to life and Rudolph’s nose glow. In the same way, we can relate to waiting all week for the newest episode of our favorite television series.

Television, particularly cartoons, connects us, both to one another and to our childhoods. For collectors Bill Heeter and Kristi Correa, two cartoon favorites include the original 1966 movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and the always funny, yellow family from Springfield, “The Simpsons.”

Heeter has been collecting original cels of animation since the late ’80s and is now sharing his collection with Ohioans during a side-by-side special exhibition at the Dayton Art Institute titled “Merry Grinchmas: The Art of Dr. Seuss’ Holiday Classic” and “(B)ART! America’s Funniest Animated Family,” on view through Jan. 19. 

“For a lot of people growing up, cartoons is someone’s introduction to the world of art, to the ideas of drawn images,” says Jerry Smith, head curator and director of curatorial affairs at the Dayton Art Institute. “They have this kind of profound impact on people, whether we recognize it or not.”

Some might say The Grinch and The Simpsons have nothing in common, but both exhibits highlight the evolution of animation as we know it today and allow a deeper look at these beloved cartoons through 499 individual art pieces displayed across the two galleries. 

Upon entering the “Merry Grinchmas” exhibit, guests are greeted by festive red and green walls, immersing them in a world of Christmas cheer. Viewers walk through the movie, seeing chronological frames of original animations as well as artwork for the film by Chuck Jones, who also drew for Loony Tunes. Display cases in the room also showcase around 40 images from Seuss himself that were used in his 1957 book How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

“In the book, [Seuss] only used shades of red and pink as highlights within the characters,” Smith Says. “Chuck Jones is the one who decided to make The Grinch green.”

Turn a corner, and you are swallowed up by the blue sky of Springfield and the cozy pink of the Simpsons’ living room. Here, visitors can see original animations that were created by painting clear acetate cels and used for animating the first 13 seasons of the show. (The Simpsons started using computer animation in 2003.) There is also an abstract mural of the Simpson family of five. Before you go, be sure to sit on the couch from The Simpsons’ living room and create your own version of the long-running opening credit gag. 

“The nostalgia of seeing these Chuck Jones images of The Grinch [is] really strong. It takes you back to being a kid sitting on the living room floor,” Smith says. “And with “(B)ART!” … I’m seeing already that people are recognizing how funny this show can be, people who don’t know the show so much are seeing things and they’re just laughing. And it’s so cool to hear people laughing and having a good time at the museum.”

For more information about this special side-by-side exhibition, visit daytonartinstitute.org

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