McDaniel College and the Carroll County Arts Council are hosting “Icons of American Animation,” a major exhibition that emphasizes the artistic and cultural significance of American animation spanning the 20th century.

Free and open to the public, the exhibition runs Monday, Jan. 3-Saturday, March 12, and will be displayed concurrently at both McDaniel College’s Esther Prangley Rice Gallery, Peterson Hall, 2 College Hill, Westminster, Md., and the Carroll County Arts Council’s Tevis Gallery at the Carroll Arts Center, 91 West Main St., Westminster, Md. A public reception takes place Thursday, Jan. 27, from 5-7 p.m. at the Carroll County Arts Council and 5:30-7:30 p.m. at McDaniel College.

“Icons of American Animation” highlights animation’s cultural impact, artistic relevance, technological achievements, and historical moments in time through over 150 pieces of original art that represents more than 30 studios including Disney, Fleischer, Warner Bros., Hanna-Barbera, UPA, MGM, Pixar and more.

According to Robert Lemieux, associate professor of communication and cinema at McDaniel and curator of the exhibition, the exhibit is one of the largest of its kind with an emphasis on notable characters, films, animators, and production studios associated with both film and television.

The exhibition showcases a broad range of art including animation cels, storyboards, model sheets, layout drawings, and concept art, in addition to artwork from 15 Academy Award winning films and pieces from 20 films listed in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry. Materials are on loan from Mike and Jeanne Glad and the Glad Family Trust.

“This is the fourth collaborative exhibition I have been a part of at McDaniel, and it is, by far, the most comprehensive,” Lemieux said. “The artwork speaks to the rich history of one of the most popular and influential art forms in America.”

Hours for the Esther Prangley Rice Gallery at McDaniel College are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and Saturday, noon-5 p.m. For more information, call 410-857-2595. View McDaniel.edu for more information about McDaniel College.

The Carroll County Arts Council’s Tevis Gallery at the Carroll Arts Center is accessible Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. More information can be found at CarrollCountyArtsCouncil.org.

“Icons of American Animation” is made possible with support from the Maryland State Arts Council, the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design at George Washington University, Carroll County Chamber of Commerce, NWSB Bank, Ting, Velnoskey Wealth Management Group, Lavin Family Fund, Ain’t That a Frame, Gauge Digital Media, Kohn Creative, and Carroll Hospital. Media partners are BmoreArt and WYPR-FM.

Learn more about “Icons of American Animation” and view a full schedule of events at https://iconsofanimation.com.