On Zoom
Walt Disney author Dan Viets offers a two-part program Wednesdays, March 12 and 26 from 11 a.m. to noon, that explores Disney's life as a young boy growing up in Marceline, Mo. and becoming an artist and entrepreneur in Kansas City where he spent ten years pioneering the art of animation. At age 20, Walt founded Laugh-O-Gram Studio on the second floor of the McConahay Building, 1127 East 31st in Kansas City, which operated until 1923. Walt hired talented artists at Laugh-O-Gram, and together, they created early animation films that influenced Disney's famed career in film and theme parks. Before he opened his studio, Disney's first art class was at Kansas City’s Benton School, and later, at the Kansas City Art Institute. Many of the young artists who worked with Disney in Kansas City followed him to Los Angeles where they revolutionized the animation film industry.
This two-part webinar is free to the public. You must register to receive the Zoom link, which can be used for part 1 and 2 of this series March 12 and 26. If you missed part 1, join us for part 2!
Dan Viets is co-author of the book “Walt Disney’s Missouri: The Roots of a Creative Genius” published by The Kansas City Star. He has written articles for several magazines including Missouri Life, Gateway Heritage, and Jackson County Historical Society. He is credited by the authors of a half dozen Disney biographies with assisting them in their research. Viets is president of the not-for-profit organization, “Thank You Walt Disney, Inc.”, which owns and is preserving and restoring the building that housed Disney’s first professional film studio, Laugh-O-gram.
The State Historical Society welcomes visitors to its Daily Disney exhibition in the SHSMO Art Gallery through March 2025. The gallery is located at the headquarters of the State Historical Society of Missouri, 605 Elm St., Columbia, Mo.