The Muskegon Museum of Art has announced a landmark exhibition titled "HerStory of Animation: Mary Blair & Beyond," premiering June 6 through September 27, 2026. The show highlights the overlooked contributions of women animators and artists who shaped animation history, featuring figures such as Helena Smith Dayton, Bessie Mae Kelley, Lotte Reiniger, Mary Blair, Faith Hubley, Lillian Schwartz, Caroline Leaf, Joan Graz, Brenda Chapman, and Nora Towmey. Curated by historian and author Mindy Johnson, the exhibition includes production artwork, studio artifacts, rare imagery, films, and newly uncovered research spanning over a century of animation.
This exhibition matters because it corrects a long-standing historical imbalance in the animation field, where women's roles have been systematically underrecognized. By assembling a rare collective of artistry and research, it offers the first comprehensive public presentation of women's foundational contributions to animation, from early cinema to digital innovation. The show also underscores the Muskegon Museum of Art's commitment to championing women in the arts, potentially inspiring broader institutional efforts to recover and celebrate marginalized art histories.