National Exhibition Tour Media Coverage November 2014 - October 2016 Part 5 
UnCut Funk Museum Celebrates Retro Cartoons
Written by The Skanner News Published: 13 November 2014
The Museum Of UnCut Funk, a virtual space that pays homage to 1970's Black Culture and the icons that made this decade so special, is celebrating Saturday morning cartoons from the 70s. “Funky Turns 40: Black Character Revolution Exhibition,” is the museum’s national touring show that commemorates the 40th anniversaries of 1970's Saturday morning cartoons that featured positive Black characters for the first time in television history. The exhibit opens at the Northwest African American Museum on Nov. 22, and will be on display there until May 3, 2015. The exhibition just completed its run at the DuSable Museum in Chicago.
The Funky Turns 40: Black Character Revolution Exhibition includes 60 pieces of animation art from the Museum Of UnCut Funk collection, one of the world’s most unique and extensive collections of original animation production cels – celluloid sheets that the original art was created on -- and drawings from 1970’s Saturday morning cartoons that feature Black characters. The original production art in the exhibition were actually used under the camera to produce these cartoons. The hand drawn and inked cels used in the animation production process of the 1970’s represent a lost art form compared to today’s digitally created cartoons. The virtual museum also features an extensive collection of 1970's black culture artifacts, which include animation art, Broadway window cards, coins, comic books, movie posters and stamps that incorporate black images. The Funky Turns 40: Black Character Revolution Exhibition is a fun, colorful, nostalgic experience that is culturally and historically relevant for the Black community but also appeals to a broader audience. Back in the 1970's, before the explosion of cable TV channels, everybody watched the same cartoons. Since then, many of these cartoons have re-aired on cable networks reaching new generations of children. What makes the Funky Turns 40: Black Character Revolution Exhibition unique is both the breadth of the artwork and the historically important story that it tells. Practically every piece of art represents a historical first, such as: Peter Jones - The Hardy Boys (1969) - First positive Black male character in a Saturday morning cartoon series Valerie Brown - Josie And The Pussy Cats (1970) - First positive Black female character in a Saturday morning cartoon series Harlem Globetrotters (1970) - First positive Black cast Saturday morning cartoon series and the first featuring Black athletes
The Jackson 5ive (1971) - First positive Black cast Saturday morning cartoon series featuring Black musicians Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972-1985) - Longest running positive Black cast Saturday morning cartoon series Kid Power (1972) - First truly multicultural Saturday morning cartoon series and the first featuring Black characters to be created from a syndicated comic strip, Morrie Turner’s Wee Pals comic strip Lt. Uhura - Star Trek (1973) - First positive Black character from a television series to appear as the same character in a Saturday morning cartoon series Verb - Schoolhouse Rock (1974) - First Black male superhero character in a cartoon - second Schoolhouse Rock episode to feature Black Characters Chuck Clayton - The U.S. Of Archie (1974) - First Black male character in an Archies Saturday morning cartoon series Astrea - Space Sentinels (1977) - First Black female superhero character in a Saturday morning cartoon series Billy Jo Jive - Billy Jo Jive (1978) - First positive cartoon series featuring Black characters to be created from a series of children’s books - Ted and John Shearer’s Billy Jo Jive book series - Aired as segment during Sesame Street SuperStretch and MicroWoman - Tarzan And The Super 7 (1979) - First Black superhero duo in a Saturday morning cartoon series It was the first time that cartoons like Josie And The Pussy Cats, Kid Power and Star Trek featured strong, positive Black female characters. It was also the first time that Black people like Bill Cosby and Berry Gordy led the development of animated television programming featuring Black characters, from concept through to art creation and production. I believe these cartoons are national treasures. They were seen by a generation of children and not only changed the way that Black kids saw themselves but the way white kids saw them
as well. Prior to the 1970's, Black characters in cartoons were depicted in a very derogatory manner. For more information go to www.museumofuncutfunk.com, or www.naamnw.org.
Funky Turns 40 at Northwest African American Museum Date: Saturday, November 22, 2014 to Sunday, May 3, 2015 Venue: Northwest African American Museum Tagged: Art This special touring exhibition commemorates the 40th anniversaries of 1970s Saturday morning cartoons that featured positive black characters for the first time in television history. The exhibition features sixty original production cels and drawings used to produce these treasured cartoons. Also included are images from the animated opening of Soul Train and also from BeBe’s Kids (1992) andOur Friend Martin (1999)—two of the few blackcast/black-focused animated features that have been produced since the 1970s.
From 1900 to 1960, over 600 cartoon shorts featuring black characters were produced by some of Hollywood’s greatest white animators and biggest film studios. These films reflected the ugliest racial stereotypes of the pre-Civil Rights era, portraying blacks as less-than-human, minstrel caricatures. Broad and derogatory, these cartoons represented blacks as cannibals, coons, mammies and Stepin Fetchit-like characters with exaggerated physical features, ignorant dialects, and amoral behavior. It wasn’t until the late 1960s/early 1970s that Saturday morning television cartoons started to feature black animated characters in a positive and realistic manner. Fueled by the Civil Rights Movement and the over-whelming commercial success of black musicians and athletes, television producers began to explore projects with a wide, multicultural appeal. This new generation of black characters become stars of their own series with a modern look and contemporary story lines that delivered culturally relevant messages. For the first time, children saw cartoon characters that looked and talked like real black people, full of warmth, humor, and intelligence. Funky Turns 40 will premiere at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (New York, NY) in January 2014. It will then travel to the Dusable Museum (Chicago, IL) before coming to Seattle. The exhibition was organized by the Museum of Uncut Funk from its private collection and curated by Pamela Thomas, Curator of the Museum of UnCut Funk.
Don't miss upcoming events at Seattle's Northwest African American Museum Funky Turns Forty This new exhibition, commemorating the 40th anniversary of "1970s Saturday morning cartoons that featured positive black characters for the first time in television history," opens on November 22. The show presents 60 original production cels and drawings that created these characters. It also includes animation from Soul Train and two animated features (BeBe's Kids and Our Friend Martin) with black casts and black-focused themes that appeared in the 1990s. NAAMTASTIC Voyage House Party To celebrate the opening of the new exhibit, Funky Turns Forty: The Black Character Revolution, the Northwest African American Museum is throwing a party November 22, with drinks catered by Lucid Lounge, surprise special performances, and dance music DJ-ed by Riz Rollins, Sassy Black, and Top Spin aka Blendiana Jones. The party begins at 7 pm. Advance tickets are $15, $20 at the door, and include admission to the exhibit.
SEATTLE Schoolhouse Rock and The Harlem Globetrotters cartoons were the sounds of Saturday mornings, for anyone who grew up in the 70's. But those retro animated series weren't just entertainment for kids. At the time, they were revolutionary. "We went from very derogative images to very positive ones for the first time," said Rosanna Sharpe, Executive Director of the Northwest African American Museum. "They reinforced positive values and professions and language and interactions, civic duty, things like that." The Civil Rights and Black Power movements of the 1960's paved the way for the shift in pop culture. And four decades later, an exhibition of groundbreaking cartoons is being installed at the Northwest African American Museum. "Funky Turns 40" features original cells from the animated shows, including super heroes, Star Trek icons, athletes, and a member of the Peanuts gang. There were also characters designed to help kids learn, through educational programming.
"Those were some of the very foundational ideas that were put forth to young minds, that had to do with academic achievement," Sharpe said. "I think it was good for everyone sitting in front of the television and taking it all in." All these years later, characters of all colors are ubiquitous. The curators of this exhibition hope audiences won't forget why, as they take a nostalgic walk into their own past. "I think people will have fun and it will spark a lot of imagination and really good memories," Sharpe said. "Funky Turns 40" opens Saturday, Nov. 22 with a kick-off party from 7 p.m. to midnight. The exhibition runs through May 2015.
SOUTHEAST SEATTLE — The Northwest African American Museum (NAAM) is currently featuring “Funky Turns 40: Black Character Revolution Exhibition Tour” through May 3. The exhibition features original production cels and drawings and limited edition cels from Fat Albert And The Cosby Kids, The Jackson Five, The Harlem Globetrotters, Valerie from Josie and The Pussy Cats; Lt. Uhura from Star Trek Animated Series, Muhammad Ali from I Am The Greatest, Billy Jo Jive from Sesame Street, Verb: That’s What’s Happening from School House Rock and Franklin from Peanuts. From NAAM:
This special touring exhibition commemorates the 40th anniversaries of 1970s Saturday morning cartoons that featured positive black characters for the first time in television history. The exhibition features sixty original production cels and drawings used to produce these treasured cartoons. Also included are images from the animated opening of Soul Train and also from BeBe’s Kids (1992) and Our Friend Martin (1999)—two of the few black-cast/black-focused animated features that have been produced since the 1970s. From 1900 to 1960, more than 600 cartoon shorts featuring black characters were produced by some of Hollywood’s greatest white animators and biggest film studios. These films reflected the ugliest racial stereotypes of the pre-Civil Rights era, portraying blacks as less-than-human, minstrel caricatures. Broad and derogatory, these cartoons represented blacks as cannibals, coons, mammies and Stepin Fetchit-like characters with exaggerated physical features, ignorant dialects, and amoral behavior. It wasn’t until the late 1960s/early 1970s that Saturday morning television cartoons started to feature black animated characters in a positive and realistic manner. Fueled by the Civil Rights Movement and the overwhelming commercial success of black musicians and athletes, television producers began to explore projects with a wide, multicultural appeal. This new generation of black characters become stars of their own series with a modern look and contemporary story lines
that delivered culturally relevant messages. For the first time, children saw cartoon characters that looked and talked like real black people, full of warmth, humor, and intelligence. The exhibit is part of a two-year traveling exhibition from The Museum Of UnCut Funk, featuring black character animation art from black cartoons of the 1970s. Next year, it will move on to the Reading Public Museum in Reading, Pennsylvania, and the Pensacola Museum Of Art in Pensacola, Florida. “Funky Turns 40: Black Character Animation Art from Black Cartoons of the 1970s” runs through May 3, at the Northwest African American Museum (NAAM) located at 2300 S. Massachusetts St. in Seattle’s Rainier Valley.
Art Zone with Nancy Guppy A lively look at Seattle’s creative scene -- Fridays | 8 p.m. Coming to you from one of Seattle's bestkept secrets, Art Zone explores The Ruins, a private supper club tucked away in lower Queen Anne. Host Nancy Guppy sits down with director Tim Bond, in town for the staging of Seattle Rep's The Piano Lesson. Northwest African American Museum's Rosanna Sharpe stops by to talk about Funky Turns 40, a touring exhibition of black animation art from 1970's Saturday morning cartoons. Plus, hear from guitar guru Rob Hampton on how he landed his dream job teaching guitar. The show is topped off with a memorable performance by the Sam Boshnack Quintet from the fantastical Ruins ballroom.
To see this in person, complete awe. Funky Turns 40, an art exhibition in the Northwest African American Museum of Black cartoons from the early 70s. Character originals of Fat Albert to seeing the original line work logo to Soul Train. Inspiring for real. #SeattleChapter #ArtLife w/ @supervillain582


Eye on Art: 'Funky Turns 40' is a fun '70s flashback Mike Roberts, pensacolaeyeonart@yahoo.com 3:02 p.m. CST March 11, 2016 Circa 1977. You’re still in your PJs in front of the TV, working on your third bowl of Fruity Pebbles, in pursuit of the prize buried at the bottom of the box and the sweet pink milk that’s left over. It’s Saturday morning, and you’re going to be a kid forever. The Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St., is hosting a homage to Saturday morning cartoons, focusing on television’s “black cultural revolution.” Titled “Funky Turns 40,” the exhibit is studded with cels, or transparent sheets used for hand-drawn animation. The traveling show of 60 animated works is from the Museum of Uncut Funk, a virtual preservation of '70s Black Culture. The show’s target audience is obviously Generation X, the disparate lot parented by a mix of TV and the freedom of roaming the neighborhood unattended. While the '70s bore the stigma of the oil crisis and an ongoing recession, children sought a sunrise-to-noon haven of superheroes, dueling animals and moral-based narratives. It was pre-cable, and cartoons were rationed to once a week. Millennials just wouldn’t understand. The exhibit points to a variety of firsts, such as School House Rock’s first black character in 1973; Astrea, the first black female superhero, who could change into any living animal; and Franklin Armstrong, the first black member of the “Peanuts” gang. Besides this walk down memory lane, the show reveals the sobering fact of how late to the game Saturday morning cartoons actually were. The Civil Rights movement, despite widespread conservative pushback, had already made its mark. "Fat Albert," the most recognized program in the show, was originally passed over because of its subtext of urban strife. Eventually it broke through the network iceberg and landed on CBS, fitting in with its diet of socially conscious adult sitcoms. In the end, “Funky Turns 40’ isn’t a polemical assault, but rather a colorful balance of reminiscence and commemoration. If anything, black culture’s infiltration was an injection of broader creativity. As an alternative to the ho-hum of "Looney Tunes" and the Hall of Justice’s comic book titans, there was "Hong Kong Phooey," a dog who is a janitor cum martial arts superhero; the misadventures of the girl band "Josie and the Pussycats"; and
the animated versions of the Jackson Five, the Harlem Globetrotters, and “Star Trek,� where Lt. Uhura brought not color, but a suave sense of calm and control to the bridge of the Enterprise. This poignant flashback runs through April 9.
Moon: Hey, Hey, Hey! PMA gets funky Troy Moon, tmoon@pnj.com 1:12 p.m. CDT March 13, 2016 We were a white bread family in a white bread neighborhood going to white bread schools. I don't think I ever saw wheat bread until I was a teenager. And in my little insulated childhood world, it all seemed a little stale and, well, pale. We had a few black kids that went to school with us, but just a few. Yes, we were the same — I've always believed that. But we were different, too. And when you're faced with stale and pale, different is good. But as a child in the 1970s, those differences weren't always celebrated in my redneck of the world. Then, I heard the Jackson 5. Sure, Donny Osmond was fine. But that little Michael Jackson youngster? He oozed kid cool. The moves. The funky fashions. The funky hair. No, I didn't know what funky meant. But I knew my 70s-era mullet would never be as cool as the full-sized "Say It Loud! I'm black and I'm proud" afros I saw black dudes wearing around town. And it looked even cooler if they had one of those "black power fist" hair picks half-buried in their 'fros. A year later, 1972, 10-year-old me was introduced to a whole gang of black friends courtesy of "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" Albert — "Hey Hey Hey!", Weird Harold. Mushmouth, Bill, Rudy. They were regular young people, having regular young people fun Strange, it took cartoons to bring that normalcy to the forefront in my white world. Well, that whole cartoon culture of inclusion is being celebrated at the Pensacola Museum of Art with the "Funky Turns 40" exhibit, which runs through April 9. The exhibit is organized by the Museum of Uncut Funk out of California and sponsored by Cox Communications. The exhibit celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Saturday morning cartoons that brought black characters to the segregated small screen - "Fat Albert and The Cosby Kids." "The Harlem Globetrotters,'' "The Jackson 5" and many more. And even if the series weren't
predominately black, we still saw more white bread series adding black characters to their cartoon rosters — from "Space Sentinels,'' "Josie & the Pussycats" to "Schoolhouse Rock.” At the museum, you'll see original pencil drawings of characters from your favorite shows, as well as animated production cells that jump with that special tint of '70s color. Multimedia screens show excerpts from the shows, and that funky funky music permeates the space. I talked to the funkiest person I know, Robin Reshard of Robert Robino Productions in Pensacola about the exhibit. (How funky is Robin? The young lady — younger than me; she's 50 — is the local authority on all things funky. She's a historian who has produced documentaries about black neighborhoods, and still rocks the awesome 'fro from back in the day. She's an author whose books include "Find Your 'Fro" and "The Little Book of Fro-Isms." The last four digits of her phone number are 2376 (AFRO). Turns out, Reshard even wrote a letter to the museum recommending the awesome exhibit. "As an African-American girl growing up, I was having fun and my friends were having fun, and now we're seeing that normalcy on television,'' she said. "I saw people having fun on the other cartoons. These shows just brought out more perspective. It was normal to us, but now we were seeing it on TV and everyone else was seeing it as normal too ... And the music was slamming.”
Hey, Hey, Hey: How Cartoons Shaped a Generation By Shelby Smithey February 24, 2016 Growing up in the ‘70s, Loreen Williamson and Pamela Thomas always spent Saturday mornings watching their favorite cartoons—the “Jackson 5ive” and “Josie and the Pussycats.” At that time, those were just two of a small handful of cartoons that featured positive black characters that the girls looked up to. The cartoons they watched as children stayed with them through adulthood, and they both began collecting memorabilia from those beloved shows, including hundreds of drawings and cels used in the animation and filming process. Eventually meeting over shared interests, Williamson and Thomas created the virtual Museum of UnCut Funk in 2007, an online showcase for original animation cels, posters, storyboards and other objects celebrating black culture of the 1970s. That “funk” which inspired the two women so much in their childhood would eventually lead to a traveling exhibition, “Funky Turns 40: Black Character Revolution,” which opens this week at the Pensacola Museum of Art. The exhibit, co-curated by Williamson and Thomas, will feature memorabilia from 24 animated productions, including Saturday morning and after-school cartoons and animated feature films that featured positive black characters in the ‘70s. Who would have thought that a rather large, albeit civic-minded, character on Saturday morning cartoons in the ‘70s would have such an impact today? Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, premiering in 1972 and ending in 1984, was the longest-running positive black cast Saturday morning cartoon series. “Thomas and Williamson are cartoon aficionados, and ‘Funky Turns 40′ commemorates the 40th anniversaries of popular ‘70s Saturday morning cartoons that featured positive and realistic black characters for the first time in television history,” the Museum of Uncut Funk’s website said. “Fueled by the civil rights movement and the overwhelming success
of black musicians and athletes during the period, television producers began to explore projects with a wide, multicultural appeal.” The museum’s website said that shows like “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids” paved the way for other black characters and shows featuring music icons, sports heroes and multicultural casts such as “The Jackson 5ive,” “Josie and the Pussy Cats,” “The Harlem Globetrotters” and “I Am The Greatest” featuring Muhammad Ali. Shows like “Hardy Boys” and “Super Friends,” which previously had overtly white casts, began to introduce positive black characters who worked side-by-side with their white counterparts. “These shows helped empower a generation of children with cartoon role models who promoted family values, education, friendship, civic duty, personal responsibility and sportsmanship in fun, vibrant bursts of animation,” the museum’s website said. “Forty years later, the legacy of these cartoons pioneered the way for a new generation of black animation like “The Proud Family,” “Little Bill,” “Static Shock,” “Fillmore” and “Doc McStuffins.” From 1900 to 1960, over 600 cartoon shorts featuring black characters were produced by some of Hollywood’s greatest white animators and biggest film studios. These film shorts portrayed blacks in a racially derogatory and stereotypical manner with exaggerated features and ignorant dialect. In the 1950’s, several of these racist cartoons were shown on television. As a result of the Civil Rights Movement, in the 1960’s the racial content of many of these cartoons was edited out or the cartoons were pulled from television altogether. It wasn’t until the early 1970’s that Saturday morning television cartoons started to feature image-affirming black animated characters with a modern look and positive story lines that delivered culturally-relevant messages. For the first time, black people like Bill Cosby and Berry Gordy led development of animated television programming featuring black characters, from concept through to art creation and production. For the first time, black children saw cartoon characters that looked, talked and acted more realistically like them, such as Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. For the first time, black children had cartoon role models who taught positive messages. Also for the first time, cartoons featured strong black female characters and multicultural casts.
“Black History Month is a time of celebration and an opportunity to highlight unique African-American contributions to art history,” Pensacola Museum of Art Director of Curatorial Affairs Alexis Leader said. “The Museum annually honors these artistic achievements through exhibitions and exhibition-related programming. ‘Funky Turns 40’ commemorates the first positive black animation characters in television history.” A self-professed “star child” of the ‘70s, Thomas said that these cartoons are national treasures, as “they were seen by a generation of children and not only changed the way that black kids saw themselves, but the way white kids saw them, as well.” Leader said that to date, the exhibit has been viewed by over 100,000 people to an overwhelmingly positive response and the family-friendly and interactive exhibit has broad appeal while remaining culturally and historically relevant. “The nostalgia in this exhibit is particularly high,” Leader said. “Viewers will rediscover old friends from their Saturday morning cartoons, and new fans will be created. Visitors will be able to tour 60 pieces of original animation artwork, view cartoon clips, create their own original characters at the ‘animation station’ and pose for a photo as one of the Jackson 5ive.” Leader said that the cartoons on exhibit paved the way for black characters on television, and it certainly comes through in the exhibit. “Animation is an engaging and universally-beloved medium,” Leader said. “This exhibit utilizes that draw to highlight a unique and eye-opening element of black history within both art and pop culture.” FUNKY TURNS 40: BLACK CHARACTER REVOLUTION WHAT: An Exhibit from the Museum of UnCut Funk Collection WHEN: On display Feb. 23- April 9; Opening Reception 5:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 26 WHERE: Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. COST: $5—$7, Opening Reception is free and open to public DETAILS: pensacolamuseum.org
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By: Tonya Jackson The Pensacola Museum of Art (PMA) recently commemorated the 40th anniversary of the 1970’s Saturday Morning cartoons that featured positive Black characters for the first time on television. Funky Turns 40 included 60 pieces of animation art from the Museum of Uncut Funk. The Museum of Uncut Funk describes itself as, “The foremost authority and archive of 1970’s Black culture and all things FUNKY! A living, breathing, FUNKEMPORIUM!” Their collection is one of the world’s most unique and extensive collections of original animation production cells and drawings from the 1970’s. Morgan Mills, marketing and events manager at PMA, gave me a tour of their various collections and a heads up for upcoming exhibits. Other than the exhibit that brought me to the museum I was thrilled to see the collection of work from local artists who are members of PMA, more on that later. What I also learned from Mills was the original use of the building that now houses the PMA, the City Jail! According to Mills, “The design needed for the jail made it perfect for use as a museum.” The PMA has also been a recipient of Impact 100 grants to make improvements at the museum.
The exhibition opened here in late February, but the day before it left Pensacola I had an opportunity to attend the exhibition with Sara SmithRedmond, of D&J’s Favorite Things and the upcoming Real Women Radio show “Stylish Behavior,” and one of her beautiful daughters, DeShazer Redmond. Seeing an exhibit filled with the best parts of my childhood Saturday mornings was a nostalgic treat, but to see three-year-old DeShazer’s excitement and fascination of the exhibit was wonderful. She was instantly fascinated by the images and she knew exactly what to do when she saw the Jackson Five cutout. While the exhibition was filled with positive images it also included cartoons that were the staple for too long, those oversized thick-lipped images of dimwitted black people. The images that don’t inspire pride, but rather promote an image of less than. Some may shy away from these images, but these images are necessary so we remember that while today parts of us and our culture that is embraced, or appropriated, by other cultures it wasn’t that long ago that we and our culture were mocked and shunned. Some could argue that the same happens today when those features are part of our natural beauty. The 2016 annual members’ exhibition was juried by Dr. Kara Burns, assistant professor of art history at the University of South Alabama. 96 artists representing a wide and diverse variety of media are currently on exhibition. Each year PMA members can submit up to three pieces for this juried art show. There is even a people’s choice award given at the conclusion of the exhibition. Details on PMA membership can be found on their website. Upcoming exhibits at the PMA include “The Artist Revealed: Artist Portraits and Self- Portraits” which will begin on April 22nd and conclude on July 16th and “Stephen Knapp: Lightpaintings” which will be housed from April 22nd through August 27th. The opening receptions for both exhibits will be Friday, April 22nd, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.
History in the Making Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia to open doors May 10 The long-awaited opening of the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia is finally set. The museum’s new location at 122 W. Leigh St. in Jackson Ward will open Tuesday, May 10, marking the end of its highly anticipated $8 million renovation that began back in September 2014. “What’s most important as we embark on our new journey is that we not only use this interactive space to showcase world-class exhibitions, but that we create a safe space to have dialogue about issues that are affecting our country,” said Tasha Chambers, the museum’s executive director, in a statement. Starting Tuesday, May 10, the museum will be open Tuesday- Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students and $6 for children ages 3-12. Admission is free for infants. The 12,000-square-foot museum will have permanent exhibits on the first floor, interactive exhibits for children and space to accommodate traveling exhibitions on the second floor. A space that will permit patrons to research their genealogy is in the works, according to the statement. When the museum opens, that second-floor space will display more than 50 pieces of animation art dating to the 1970s. The exhibit called “Funky Turns 40: Black Character Revolution,” will run through August, according to the release. The museum will showcase a traveling Romare Bearden exhibit, “Vision to Activism,” through December. Preview events are scheduled the week prior to the public opening. A cocktail reception will be held Thursday, May 5. Tickets go on sale in mid-April, according to the release. A poetry event is scheduled on Friday, May 6 to coincide with First Fridays in the Arts District. On Saturday, May 7, admission to the museum will be free.
TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) - A new exhibit focused on art hailing from the 60's and 70's is coming to Florida A&M University. The Meek-Eaton Black Archives and Museum at FAMU has announced that the "Funky Turns Forty" exhibit from the Museum of Uncut Funk Collection will make its debut from Saturday until Halloween. Loreen Williamson and Pamela Thomas created the Museum of Uncut Funk in 2007 to digitally showcase their now 300 and counting pieces of 1960’s and 70’s animation art. “Funky Turns Forty,” commemorates the 40th anniversaries of 1970’s Saturday Morning cartoons that featured positive Black characters for the first time in television history. The collection houses pieces from popular shows like, “Hey, Hey, Hey, It’s Fat Albert,” “The Jackson Five, “Josie and the Pussycats,” and “The Harlem Globetrotters,” to name a few. The exhibit will also contain several interactive features, making it a family friendly outing. FAMU's museum is free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Funky Turns Forty, a traveling exhibition of animation art from 1970s Saturday-morning cartoons, is open at the Meek-Eaton Black Archives and Museum at Florida A&M University. Revisit Fat Albert, The Jackson 5ive, Josie and the Pussycats, and The Harlem Globetrotters -th to name a few -- at this artexhibit commemorating the 40 anniversaries of Saturday-morning programs that featured positive Black characters for the first time in TV history. Funky Turns Forty includes interactive features designed to interest multiple generations. The exhibit is from the collection of the Museum of UnCut Funk, a digital showcase of 300+ pieces. It is made possible through the Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network, a project of the John G. Riley Foundation. The Meek-Eaton Black Archives is honored to participate in the ongoing examination of visual culture and the positive role of African-American identity by showcasing the significance in American society of this period of animation art. Museum hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 850-599-3020 or go to https://www.facebook.com/ MeekEatonBlackArchives/.