When I spoke to Ken Kebow about his Rolly Crump documentary The Whimsical Imagineer, we briefly discussed Crump’s prolific art. Kebow offered glimpses at that work in the film, and that is just the tip of the iceberg. Disney fans know Crump from It’s a Small World, The Enchanted Tiki Room and The Haunted Mansion, but that represents a small part of his output. Crump’s art is currently on display in a special exhibition at the Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA) in San Diego. I won’t be able to see it but would love to take that deep dive into his work.
Titled “Rolly Crump: It’s Kind of a Cute Story”, this exhibition includes a wide range of art from his extensive 65-year career. It opened on August 26, 2017 and will remain on display until February 18, 2018. In conjunction with this exhibit, a screening of The Whimsical Imagineer will take place this Thursday, November 9 and include a Q&A with Crump and Kebow at the OMA. If you live in San Diego or nearby, I’d definitely suggest attending that event.
The exhibition contains remarkable work that should interest Disney fans, including a model of the It’s a Small World pavilion, a mini Tower of the Four Winds, and images of the renowned Museum of the Weird. Curated by Bob Self, the inclusions go well beyond the expected Disney fare. I’m jealous of anyone living in California or visiting before February 18th that gets to experience this exhibition. If you do have the chance to visit, leave a comment below or send me a note with details!
Learn More
Check out this extended preview video for a sneak peak of the exhibit.
You can also visit oma-online.org/crump for a brief description.
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Tomorrow Society Podcast #27: Ken Kebow on The Whimsical Imagineer
Review: The Whimsical Imagineer
More Cute Stories, Vol. 1-3 (Audio Book)
Photos used in this post are courtesy of Ken Kebow.
Wish I could see this…
Me too! Some of the artwork in there looks incredible.
Ah! I’ll be in San Diego in early March for a conference and will just miss it. Looks so neat
That’s too bad. You almost made it!
Thank you for this. I live in San Diego and will definitely check it out.
Awesome. I was hoping this would find someone in the area!