Berkshire Art Association (BAA) is hosting a comic and cartoon art show and events, titled Everyone is a Hero: A Comic and Cartoon Art Tribute to Our Local Heroes. It will feature original art and signed auction items created by DC, Marvel, and The Simpsons comic book artists Luke McDonnell, Penim Loureiro, and Bill Morrison. The events will run on August 6-28, 2021 at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
A preview will be held on Friday, August 6 from 5 PM to 8 PM during Pittsfield’s First Fridays Artswalk. The opening will follow on Saturday, August 7 from 3 PM to 6 PM. The event will feature music, art, cosplay, and comic-making with artists Joe Staton (Green Lantern) and Luke McDonnell (Iron Man). While drawing characters, they will teach attendees how to make their own comics.
The show is curated by BAA board member Lawrence Klein, founder of the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in New York City.
“I came up with a few themes, and my idea was to ask American comic book artist Luke McDonnell and Portuguese comic book artist Penim Loureiro to create unique drawings from the same list of subjects,” Klein said. “How do two artists from different parts of the world view the same subject matter? They took up the challenge of creating their own visions and the results are amazing.”
The show will feature sketches and signed items for auction by Bill Morrison (creative director, The Simpsons) and Patrick McDonnell (creator, Mutts). There will be a special fundraising event at the Berkshire Humane Society with Joe Staton creating custom art for sale and hands-on art making activities. It will also feature local Berkshire artists.
“The show brings together an impressive group of artists and the result is great fun,” BAA member Liz Bevilacqua said. “You’ll see familiar heroes and heroines like Batman, Iron Man, and Harley Quinn in new and creative ways.”
Comic creator Danny Fingeroth will present “Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics and the Creation of the Superhero” on August 19 at 6 PM. He will discuss the significant comic creators who were first and second generation immigrants and how many creators’ Jewish origins shaped the characters they created. Some of the creators Fingeroth will discuss include Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Jerry Siegel, Joe Shucster, Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Will Eisner.
The show and programs are dedicated to the memory of Pittsfield resident Paul Houston for his service and commitment to the BAA.
Everyone is a Hero: A Comic and Cartoon Art Tribute to Our Local Heroes runs August 6-28. The Lichtenstein Center for the Arts is located at 28 Renne Avenue, in Pittsfield, MA.
