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Pixar: The Design of Story Exhibit Takes New York Behind the Scenes

Pixar: The Design of Story, the new exhibit at the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York, provides a backstage look at beloved animation. Ever since Toy Story debuted in theaters in 1995, Pixar Animation Studios has captivated audiences with their delightfully creative films. But behind each animated world and legendary character lies a complex process of research and design used by the Pixar team to bring their stories to life. Visitors to the Cooper-Hewitt have the opportunity to learn more about these processes in the fascinating new exhibit Pixar: The Design of Story, which will run through August 7, 2016.

pixar the design of story exhibit

Installed in the Cooper Hewitt’s Process Lab, Pixar: The Design of Story focuses on the collaborative design process intrinsic to every Pixar film, from Toy Story to Inside Out. Visitors can discover how Pixar artists design the characters and environments at the heart of their films, and how design development and research inform each film’s story development. The exhibit features original artwork from Pixar films, including rarely seen sketches, paintings, and sculptures. Items on display range from a series of busts used to design Woody in Toy Story to the dirt collected on Route 66 by the team behind Cars, which determined the exact color of the film’s Western setting. Also screening at the exhibit is Luxo Jr., Pixar’s groundbreaking 1986 short film about an enthusiastic young lamp—demonstrating just how far the studio has come in the past 30 years.

Of course, true to Pixar’s innovative style, this new exhibit will have some interactive elements as well. In addition to the 75 pieces on display in the exhibit, another 650 works, including mockups, storyboards, renderings, and illustrations, are available for visitors to browse through on the Process Lab’s large touchscreen table. For younger visitors (and the young at heart), there will also be creative exercises inspired by Pixar’s methods, including tables where visitors can draw a “Squiggle Character” or transform a shape into an Inside Out-esque emotional character. Accompanying the exhibit will be a series of Pixar-related events at the Cooper Hewitt, including a week of design workshops for all ages led by Pixar’s creative team, and a conversation with Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter on Nov. 12, 2015.

pixar the design of story exhibit

For more information about Pixar: The Design of Story and the Cooper Hewitt Museum, visit www.cooperhewitt.org.

About the Author

Alison Durkee is a New York-based arts journalist and critic with a background in theatre and dance. She currently serves as the Features Editor of London theatre website Everything Theatre and also covers news and politics for Mic.com.

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