"I was determined to diversify. I had another idea which was plaguing my brain. It was The Silly Symphonies. A series without a central character which would give me latitude to develop the animated cartoon medium." —Walt Disney
Robert Disney was a younger brother of Walt’s father, Elias. He is one of many Disney family members whose actions forever influenced Walt’s life and career...
In celebration of family month here at The Walt Disney Family Museum, we asked YOU to share your story of Walt was part of your family...
Each month, we ask a museum staff member to answer five questions about their position at The Walt Disney Family Museum, their fondest Disney memories, and personal tidbits. This month, we're asking our very own Harvey Newman... what do YOU do??
“…my father had a very close brother [Robert Disney] all his life,” Roy O. Disney recalled in a 1968 interview. “His wife’s name was Margaret. We called her Maggie. She was a wonderful character with an infectious laugh, and laughed at the slightest provocation, and she was always enamored with Walt from the time he was a little fellow.”
So Dear to My Heart will be screening throughout September. As you may know, the film inspired Walt's hobby of miniature making and collecting. He built an elaborate miniature based upon the "Granny's Cabin" set of the film, beginning a pastime that ultimately led to the creation of Disneyland.
This past July, The Walt Disney Family Museum held its second annual Walt Disney Discovery Summer Camps, led by the members of our Museum Education staff. Working in teams, we developed three new camps for 2011: Artimation, Beyond the Funny Pages: Creating Comic Books, and Direct Your Own True-Life Adventure.
Although to many, working at Disney is a dream, it has also long been a real job—with all of the needs, rules, and efficiencies required by any employer. As such, more than five decades ago artist Tom Oreb supervised the creation of an elaborate handbook for Studio employees, which we take a look at today.
The Walt Disney Family Museum presents a weekly Portrait Drawing Class with the talented and inspiring figurative artist Felicia Forte. Felicia has studied at The California Art Institute and The Art Students League of New York. She is a full time artist living in San Francisco, and maintains a studio in Belmont, CA, where she also offers instruction in drawing and painting...
"School-age youngsters are capable of absorbing and retaining a tremendous amount of learning. Given the chance, they have an amazing aptitude for knowledge. We must not deny them that chance through shortages of classrooms and inadequate educational facilities. Having spent most of my life creating material for children and observing their potential, I feel convinced that a full-time education for our youth is our best investment in the future.”
— Walt Disney