Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1153535
46 KEYFRAME A new exhibition at the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles (IAMLA) explores animation through the lens of Italian American contributors, who both pioneered the craft as well as those who continue to inspire audiences today. "Our primary mission is showing the history and ongoing contributions of Italian Americans," says Marianna Gatto, Executive Director of IAMLA. "Contributions are often framed by the media as not so positive and we'd like to present another conversation." As the curators started digging into the history of animation and local artists, they discovered significant contributions, including Joseph Barbera and Walter Lantz, whose parents were Italian immigrants, to famed Disney director Clyde Geronimi, who hailed from Chiavenna and portrayed his culture in the iconic spaghetti scene from Lady and the Tramp. The exhibit also looks at Italian American women who contributed to the craft, such as ink-and-paint artist Grace Godino and Roman-born Bianca Majolie (originally Maggioli), who became the first female storyboard artist at Disney in 1935. "At a time when the studio was focused on gags, she adopted an approach to telling stories in a more emotional way," says Gatto. She was also instrumental in providing the English translation for The Adventures of Pinocchio for the animated film. You can visit "Fantasy World: Italian Americans in Animation" at IMLA now through Jan. 26, 2020; admission is free. Also, the documentary Quirino Cristiani: The Mystery of the First Animated Movies will be screened at the museum on Aug 24. For more information visit iamla.org. DOLCE ANIMAZIONE from top, clockwise: Geronimi's iconic spaghetti scene; a display on Michele Maltese; and the Magic Lantern, an ancestor of the motion picture projector. F I N A L N O T E