Over 500 artifacts-including drawings, paintings, and sculpture from Ratatouille, WALL-E, Up, and Pixar's Latest Film, Toy Story 3 ---

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) will present PIXAR: 25 Years of Animation, a major exhibition of over 500 works by the artists at Pixar Animation Studios, including drawings, paintings, and sculptures that illustrate the creative process and craftsmanship behind Pixar's wildly successful

computer-animated films. This will be a significantly enhanced presentation of the exhibition, which is returning home to Oakland after a successful worldwide tour that began at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2005. A number of significant works will be on public display for the first time, including art from Ratatouille, WALL-E, Up, and Pixar's latest feature film, Toy Story 3.

On view from July 31, 2010 through January 9, 2011, the exhibition will be accompanied by screenings of Pixar's feature and short films; a special program of lectures, talks and workshops with Pixar artists.

"The Bay Area, has emerged as the global center for animation today, making OMCA an ideal venue for this comprehensive exhibition of Pixar's achievements," said Lori Fogarty, Executive Director of the Oakland Museum of California. "This Museum's mission is to connect communities to the natural and cultural heritage of California, and we believe that Pixar is in many ways a quintessential California enterprise.”

At the heart of PIXAR are the concept drawings, sketches, paintings, and maquettes created by Pixar artists over the past 25 years to bring to life the compelling characters and stories that have enchanted moviegoers of all ages around the world. Drawing on work from Pixar's eleven feature films and many of its short films, the exhibition spans some of the studio's first short films created in the 1980s; its first feature-length film, Toy Story, the first fully computer-animated feature film ever produced; Pixar's recent Academy Award-winning feature Up; and its latest film, Toy Story 3, to be released this summer. PIXAR will showcase more than 500 artifacts, including many of the pencil drawings; paintings in acrylic, gouache, and watercolor; and sculptures that form the backbone of the computer-generated images (CGIs) for which Pixar has become internationally recognized. The exhibition also includes video interviews with artists and behind-the-scenes footage of Pixar's creative process.

Working closely with Pixar Animation Studios, OMCA will host a series of dynamic public programs for families, youth, schools, and adults of all ages. Programs will not only highlight the Pixar exhibition itself, but link the concepts of creating worlds, characters and stories with exhibits in the newly reinstalled Art and History Galleries. Visitors will enjoy hands-on activities, demonstrations, and tours by Pixar artists throughout the run of the exhibition.
PIXAR is part of the inaugural year celebration of the transformed Oakland Museum of California. The Museum reopened May 1 with a dramatically different presentation of its collections, inviting visitors to discover the many stories of California and to explore their own contributions to the state's social, artistic, and environmental heritage. Among OMCA's major exhibitions throughout the year is the Days of the Dead exhibit, which this year will run from October 6-December 5.