CELEBRATE A DR. SEUSS CHRISTMAS AT CARTHAGE 

  "A Dr. Seuss Christmas"

H.F. Johnson Gallery of Art, 2001 Alford Park Drive, Kenosha, Wis.

Dec.1- Dec. 13, 2008

OPENING RECEPTION, Friday, Dec. 5, 4-7:30pm

Refreshments will be served.

William W. Dreyer, of the Chase Art Group, will be present for a reception  to provide insights into Geisel's artistic life, his unique vision and his impact on American culture. 

A free, short-run exhibition at the H.F. Johnson Gallery of Art, "A Dr. Seuss Christmas", is a comprehensive peek into Theodor Seuss Geisel's life and work as seen in limited edition, licensed works on loan from the Pinnacle Art Group. With rarely seen works from Dr. Seuss's personal collections, including "The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss" and "The Unorthodox Taxidermy" sculptures, viewers will witness a side of Seuss that will break ground on how we will remember the beloved artist and author.

Theodor Seuss Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss (1904-91), began his career as a little known editorial cartoonist in the 1920s. His intriguing perspective and fresh concepts ignited his career, and his work evolved quickly to deft illustrations, modeled sculpture and sophisticated oil paintings of elaborate imagination. Dr. Seuss is best known as one of the most beloved and popular children's authors of all time, having written and illustrated classics such as "Green Eggs and Ham" and "How The Grinch Stole Christmas!"

Geisel was also a political cartoonist for the newspaper PM during World War II, as well as a contributing illustrator for Vanity Fair and Life.  He had a long, successful advertising career, and was an Academy Award winner for his wartime documentaries, as well as his animated short film, "Gerald McBoing Boing."

He created 44 children's books, over 400 World War II political cartoons, hundreds of advertisements, and countless editorials filled with wonderfully inventive animals, characters and clever humor. Geisel single-handedly forged a new genre of art that falls somewhere between the Surrealist movement of the early 20th Century and the inspired nonsense of a child's classroom doodles.

The works will be presented through Dec. 13. Gallery hours are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m.- 3 p.m., Thursday evenings 6- 8 p.m., and Saturdays 1- 4 p.m.

MEDIA CONTACT: Diane Levesque 262-551-5853, dlevesque@carthage.edu