The Reading Public Museum is pleased to announce the opening of its highly anticipated Fall 2015 exhibitions. The exhibitions, which will open on Saturday September 19, 2015, include Curious GeorgeTM: Let’s Get Curious!, Funky Turns 40: Black Character Revolution, and The Funnies: Vintage Comic Strips, 1940s–1960s.

Throughout the Curious GeorgeTM: Let’s Get Curious exhibit, children and families will explore the world of Curious George and help his friends solve problems the mischievous monkey encounters along the way. This exhibit features STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) educational concepts to help children develop important skills all while having a great time. Some of the experiences from George’s world that visitors will encounter include: George’s Apartment, the Sidewalk Produce Stand, a Construction Site, and even a trip to the Park, where a huggable George appears for memory making and a photo op! The exhibition is organized by the Minnesota Children’s Museum and sponsored locally by Wells Fargo.

The revolutionary exhibit, Funky Turns 40: Black Character Revolution celebrates the 40th anniversary of 1970s Saturday Morning Cartoons that featured positive black characters such as Fat Albert, The Harlem Globetrotters, and The Jackson 5ive. The exhibition features more than sixty original framed production cels and drawings, many created by Black animators. During the early days of cartoons, Black characters were featured with racially derogatory and stereotypical attributes such as cannibals, coons, and mammies. It was not until the late 1960s and early 1970s that black characters were portrayed in a realistic and positive way. The exhibition is curated by Pamela Thomas, curator of the Museum of UnCut Funk and circulated by Landau Traveling Exhibitions.

The Funnies: Vintage Comic Strips 1940s–1960s transports visitors back to an age when newspaper comics captured the imagination of the nation. This exhibit is drawn from The Museums’ own collection of memorable comic strips by artists such as Milton Caniff, Charles Schulz, Chester Gould, Mort Walker, Lee Falk, and Chic Young. Comics such as Archie, Blondie, Beetle Bailey, Peanuts, Mickey Mouse, The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, and much more will be featured. Action-packed comic strips like Steve Canyon, Terry and the Pirates, Dick Tracy, Tarzan, Mandrake the Magician, and the Lone Ranger, amon other, will be on view. After its debut in Reading, the exhibition will travel to venues throughout the United States.

Curator of Art, Scott Schweigert remarked that “the fall season gives visitors of all ages an exceptional opportunity to enjoy comics and cartoons from yesterday and today, all while learning and having fun!”

The Reading Public Museum is supported in part by grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and is located at 500 Museum Road, Reading, Pa. Admission per day is: $10 adults (18-64), $6 children/seniors/college students (w/ID) and free to Members and children three years old and under. The Museum is open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Web: www.readingpublicmuseum.org