This article is part of our Museums special section about how artists and institutions are adapting to changing times.
Who doesn’t love the Peanuts? Charlie Brown, Lucy Van Pelt, Snoopy and other characters from Charles M. Schulz’s popular comic strip have a beloved place in American culture for people who grew up reading about their adventures in newspapers and watching the animated television specials.
This year marks 75 years since Schulz debuted the Peanuts gang, and in honor of the occasion, the Miami Children’s Museum has created “Take Care with Peanuts: The Exhibit,” on view until Aug. 17. The exhibit will subsequently travel across the country for seven to 10 years, starting with the Chicago Children’s Museum in September, said Deborah Spiegelman, the chief executive of the Miami Children’s Museum.
The museum designed “Take Care with Peanuts” in collaboration with Peanuts Worldwide, which manages the brand globally.
Spiegelman said that the idea for the exhibit was sparked by a 2019 Peanuts Worldwide initiative, which encouraged children to take care of themselves, others and the planet. “It’s a celebration of values that are fundamental to the well-being of children,” she said. “Children today are dealing with so many social and emotional challenges, and their mental health has suffered since the pandemic.”
“Take Care with Peanuts” is whimsical and colorful and highlights eight Peanuts characters, including Charlie Brown, Franklin Armstrong, Sally Brown and Linus Van Pelt. They were brought to life by Mike Meyer, the founder of the museum design company Engaged Exhibits, who used acrylic and fiberglass to present the life-size characters as two- and three-dimensional figures. In keeping with the exhibit’s sustainability message, Meyer partially relied on recycled materials such as wood, steel and aluminum to create elements such as display stands, trees, a pumpkin patch, desks and shelves.
Schulz’s characters are each shown in a different setting and aim to relay a value through a hands-on activity.
Lucy, for example, stands behind her psychiatric booth from the comics, which gives children a fun way to explore their emotions and understand that talking about feelings is essential. “We want to relay to children that it’s OK for them to express their emotions and share how they feel with a trusted adult,” Spiegelman said.
The booth has an embosser machine that displays various feelings, such as “happy,” “sad” and “fearful.” Children can pick the one that best describes their mood, and the embosser creates a stamp of it, which they can take as a keepsake or put in a jar.
Schulz’s Pigpen character addresses sustainability with his compost bin, where children can learn about composting and why it matters. “As they spin the barrel and sort items, they start to see how food scraps can turn into something useful for the earth,” Spiegelman said.
Then there’s Linus’ Comfort Zone Book Nook with Lucy’s brother. Here, young people take a breather and relax inside a tent lined with shelves filled with Peanuts books. “They’re learning that quiet moments can be just as important as busy ones and exploring what makes them feel safe and at ease,” Spiegelman said.
“Take Care with Peanuts” also includes a 25-minute musical, “If I Gave the World My Blanket,” that’s performed on weekends. Named after a book that Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates released in 2021, the musical was written by the museum’s in-house theater troupe and stars Lucy, Linus, Snoopy and Charlie Brown, who entertain kids with songs relating to the exhibit’s themes.
Arthur Affleck, the executive director of the Association of Children’s Museums, said that “Take Care with Peanuts” is among the more than two dozen exhibits at children’s museums nationwide that delve into mental health and sustainability.
An example is the “Storm Center” at the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where children can touch the vortex of a 10-foot tornado and learn how solar technology works. The Kindness Gallery at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh is another that relays the significance of kindness and empathy.
“These exhibits bring mental health and the environment to the forefront,” Affleck said. “They’ve become more common at a time when children are becoming more aware about global warming and are experiencing challenges that negatively affect their mental health.”
Similar to other exhibits in the same vein, “Take Care with Peanuts” is an entertaining and engaging way to help counter these challenges, Affleck said. “It supports overall well-being, and children who visit the show are likely to see themselves reflected in the characters, which will help them have a better sense of self.”
Schulz’s widow, Jean Schulz, who is the chair of Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates and calls him “Sparky,” said that caring for the environment and kindness toward others and to oneself were inherent in who her husband was.
“Sparky always wanted people to learn through his comics, but he presented things with humor and fun,” she said. “‘Take Care with Peanuts’ is an exhibit mirroring his principles and reflects who he was.”
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