Minnesota History Center displays exhibit highlighting ‘Peanuts’ creator Charles M. Schulz

SAINT PAUL, Minn. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - A new exhibit highlights Minnesota-born 'Peanuts' creator Charles M. Schulz.

At the Minnesota History Center, museum leaders have unveiled a new art exhibit, "The Life and Art of Charles M. Schulz."

"Charles Schulz is from St. Paul and he went to Central High School in St. Paul," said Kimmy Tanaka, Community Engagement Manager for the Minnesota History Center.

And Central High is where museum leaders decided to first connect with today's talented youth.

"We worked with Central High School's intermediate drawing students...We went to the school and we held a couple of workshops doing a short form comic making series with a teaching artist," Tanaka explained.

Student's artwork on display

Just a floor below that main exhibit, their comics are on display.

"We introduced them to some of the Snoopy Peanuts comic strips. We gave them a few prompts like home is, blue is...happiness is," Tanaka shared.

And in these moments, for the first time, students, like Yuri Rivers, are seeing their own work on the walls.

"The title is Midnight Blue. This is because it's a dark night, it's rainy, you would always think gloomy but he decides to play guitar and be happy about the blues because the blues isn't a song about sadness it's a song about becoming happy in spite of sadness."

Yuri Rivers, student artist

Proud of each other. Proud of themselves

A junior at Central High, Rivers plays guitar in jazz band, sings in choir, including a form inspired by Schulz.

"You can say a lot with just a few panels...which is also something Charles Schulz was good at. Finding kind of those mundane moments in life and like finding the humor in them or finding really complex in them."

Yuri Rivers, student artist

While Rivers included just a few words, sophomore Laney Kravis chose more.

"It's called, 'Home is Where My Family Is'...Home is where my family is. Yet, they're not home. They're not here. Kidnapped. Missing in action. They've been gone for three years. Where could they have have gone? [Please tell me where they are. If they're safe, and please bring them home."

Laney Kravis, student artist

Proud of each other. Proud of themselves.

"Well this is a great start. Maybe someday, you know, when they look back on this they'll be like, 'He had his art in a museum one day.' It's a good accomplishment," Rivers expressed.

The exhibit is open through june 2024 at the minnesota history center in st. Paul.