Comics Unstripped Opens at the Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery

Comics Unstripped will run from Aug. 31–Oct. 21 at the Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery at Lebanon Valley College. Drawing from a collection of vintage American comic art, Comics Unstripped joins the burgeoning wave of scholarly introspection on this previously overlooked mass medium. 

Incorporating research from a Spring 2018 course on comic art, the exhibition not only examines the historical development of comics as an art form, but also explores comics as visual communication. Comics Unstripped investigates the comic art medium, in its variety and multiplicity, as a critical aspect of the historical, cultural, and artistic record of the United States from 1890 to the present.

Michael Pittari, LVC professor of art & visual culture, collaborated with Dr. Barbara McNulty, director of the Gallery, to develop and curate this exhibit. Gallery assistant Rebecca Worhach ’16 inventoried the collection and wrote a substantial catalog essay. 

Pittari taught the Spring 2018 Curatorial Projects course where students Rebekka Carpenter ’18, Rachel Frantz ’18, Sylvie Gibson-Gingrich ’20, Olivia Haug ’20, Sarah Johnson ’18, Chloe Kline ’21, Rebekah Nickel ’21, and Yatong Zhang ’21 assisted with the exhibition planning, contributed research to the Comics Unstripped catalog, and developed wall labels for the exhibition.

LVC President Dr. Lewis Thayne and Dorothy Thayne will host the opening reception for Comics Unstripped on Friday, Sept. 14 from 5–7 p.m. in Zimmerman Recital Hall in the Gallery. The reception is free and open to the public, and guests are able to dress up, or “cosplay,” as their favorite comic characters.

Additional events related to the exhibit are below: 

Discussion/Lecture | Thursday, Sept. 20, 5 p.m. | Zimmerman Recital Hall

The Comic Strip: Past, Present, and Future
Cate Barron, vice president of content at PA Media Group; Megan Lavey-Heaton, PennLive digital producer and creator of Namesake. Guests will discuss comics and the future of comics publishing in the digital age. 

Lecture | Thursday, Sept. 27, 11 a.m. | Zimmerman Recital Hall

Our Comics, Ourselves
Dr. Travis Kurowski, assistant professor of English, York College of Pennsylvania 

Lecture | Wednesday, Oct. 3, 5 p.m. | Zimmerman Recital Hall

Threats to American Political Cartooning, with Hope that Past is Prologue
Tom Gibson, award-winning political cartoonist 

Comic Artist Lecture | Tuesday, Oct. 16, 5 p.m. | Zimmerman Recital Hall

My Life in Comics: An Evening with Timothy Truman
Timothy Truman, professional comic artist and writer. Lecture will include an overview of Truman’s career, his working process, and a look at the types of work he has created, including comics, gaming, CD covers, and book illustrations.

Children’s Comic Workshop | Saturday, Sept. 29, 9–11:30 a.m. | Art Studio. Clyde A. Lynch ’18 Memorial Hall

 

Gallery hours are Wednesday, 5–8 p.m., Thursday and Friday, 1–4:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m., and by appointment for groups. Please contact the Gallery at 717-867-6445 or gallery@lvc.edu to arrange a private Gallery talk for your school or organization.