Disney100: The Exhibition Opens in Chicago
Disney100: The Exhibition is an immersive experience that includes interactive installations and artifacts from the Disney Archives. Photo provided by Disney100.
By Tia Carol Jones
Just as the Walt Disney Company celebrates its centennial anniversary, a new immersive experience featuring artifacts from the Walt Disney Archives has opened in Chicago.
Disney100: The Exhibition features artifacts, memorabilia, props, artifacts and costumes from the Disney archives. There also are interactive installations, with audio and visual components.
Matthew Adams, Manager of Exhibitions for Walt Disney Archives, worked with his team at Walt Disney Archives, along with the partners at Semmel Exhibitions and StudioTK, to create the exhibition. The exhibit took about four or five years to be developed.
Adams said while he has seen the exhibition a few times in Philadelphia, Munich and London, it never gets less exciting to see new people come through and experience it. He said it never loses its luster. With more than 250 pieces displayed in the exhibition, Adams said it is really difficult to chose what goes in the exhibition.
“There’s so much we can include. It’s 100 years of history, from every facet of the company. I wish we can include everything, but it’s not possible,” he said.
Instead, they include things that carry the story forward. What helped was the themed galleries that are based on part of Disney’s philosophies. Everything in those galleries is displayed in service to telling that story.
Adams said he hopes that people who attend the exhibition become more familiar with Walt Disney as a person, to keep his legacy alive, and to foster the nostalgia and the memories and how people have been impacted by Disney in a positive way.
During the opening ceremony for the exhibition Lisa Dziekan, Senior Vice President of Business Development of World Business Chicago, said that Chicago is the perfect host for the site of the exhibition.
“Immersive experiences like Disney’s have always found a warm and enthusiastic audience here in Chicago. We are a city of creators, doers and innovators. I have no doubt Disney100: The Exhibition will be a magnet for Disney fans from all corners of the globe,” she said.
Scott Waguespack, 32nd Ward Alderman, said it is exciting to have a family-centered activity in his Ward. He said the location will serve not just people in his neighborhood, but across the city and the Midwest region.
“I hope this is a place where, as we look at old memories, from the movies that we’ve seen, the new memories that will be created with a whole new generation of children and families that will come here will be very exciting for us, not only in this neighborhood, but throughout the Midwest,” he said.
Jodi Benson, who voiced Ariel in the animated version of “The Little Mermaid,” said what she loves about the exhibit is that people will learn so much, it is very educational. She added to be able to learn about Walt Disney and what his vision was, as you walked through the exhibition chronologically.
In the exhibition, there is a video of Benson working with Howard Ashman, Ron Clements and John Musker and Alan Menken. She said those are her fondest memories of working on the movie. In the live action version of “The Little Mermaid,” Benson passes on the fork to actress Halle Bailey.
“It’s so sweet. It’s so sweet that Rob Marshall and John DeLuca, our producers and directors came up with this beautiful little moment. It’s heartfelt and so so sweet and it was just perfect. It was a perfect way to express to Halle to say you understand Ariel, you get her. You understand her bravery, her courage, her tenacious spirit, her loving heart,” Benson said.
For more information about Disney100:The Exhibition and to purchase tickets, visit www.disney100exhibit.com/chicago.
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