Mazza displays Disney artist's craft

An exhibit featuring the works of Hardie Gramatky, an early author and illustrator for Walt Disney who later created the "Little Toot" picture book series, can now be seen at the University of Findlay's Mazza Museum. For the first time, Gramatky's studio and the tools of his trade will be on display, along with a variety of his original works. Museum curator Dan Chudzinski said Mazza acquired a large percentage of Gramatky's original artwork, as well as his desk and art supplies, in 2017. "From the moment these relics were uncrated, it was evident that Hardie's spirit was alive and well, and the idea for a very special exhibition was set into motion," said Chudzinski. The exhibit takes visitors through the progression of Gramatky's life, from studying at the Chouinard Art Institute, to working directly with Walt Disney, to excelling in his own career as an author and illustrator. Featured works include original illustrations created for Walt Disney Studios, the final painting that Hardie completed before his death in 1979, and an original illustration from "Little Toot and the Loch Ness Monster," a book published posthumously and completed by Gramatky's wife, Dorothea, and daughter, Linda. The exhibit, "Hardie Gramatky: A Glimpse into Greatness," is located in the Miles Gallery. Chudzinski explained that the museum had previously purchased a few original pieces of Gramatky's work, which is how how his daughter knew about Mazza. At the time, she was looking for a place to send the remaining portion of his original artwork in an effort to keep the collection intact. "After we had agreed to accepting and purchasing some of that artwork, she called back and said, 'There's something else that I have of his that might be of interest to you,'" Chudzinski said. That "something else" turned out to be the artist's original drafting table and chair. Gramatky was born in Texas but moved to California after his father died. The family didn't have much money, and he would later recall how his mother packed carrots and raisins for his lunch every day. "He would sit there and look at a food cart that had tamales, and he would always pretend that he was eating the best tamale in the world," Chudzinski said. "He said that imagination he had in childhood was really what saved him time and again in his career because he knew how to make the most of what he had. So he really was a self-made artist." Gramatky started at Stanford University but later was accepted at Chouinard Art Institute. To help cover expenses, he took a night job at Walt Disney Studios. "He was in the room with Walt. And the story was that Walt gave him an assignment that was supposed to take him six months, and Hardie came back three days later with it finished," said Chudzinski. Gramatky told Disney that he wanted to be an animator, and Disney trained him personally. Gramatky worked for the studio for six years. The Mazza exhibit contains a sampling of correspondence between Gramatky and Disney that spanned several decades. "I think everyone, including Walt, was quite shocked when he said he wanted to make it on his own as an artist," said Chudzinski. Dorothea and Hardie moved to New York, where they initially worked as freelance artists. "The story was that Hardie, to rest his eyes while he was working, would look out over the East River. And one of the things he liked to do was draw little studies of the tugboats," Chudzinski said. One day, Gramatky noticed a tugboat that never seemed to be in the right place at the right time. That would become the inspiration for Little Toot. The first book in the series was published by Putnam Books in 1939. Chudzinski said it was the first picture book the company had ever published, and it was a best seller. Gramatky would do other books featuring characters like Loopy the Plane and Hercules the Fire Engine, but none achieved the same level of success of Little Toot, said Chudzinski. In all, Gramatky wrote and illustrated six Little Toot books. The artist's last trip with his family was to Scotland in 1977. "He wanted to do a story about Little Toot meeting the Lock Ness Monster," Chudzinski said. "He was suffering from cancer and his health started to decline very rapidly the last two years he was alive to the point where he was able to do some sketching, but he really couldn't paint or put in the time in the studio like he used to." On his deathbed, Gramatky was dictating the manuscript to his daughter. In 1989, on the 50th anniversary of the first "Little Toot" being published, the publisher approached Gramatky's wife and daughter about finishing the book. "We see that Dorothea did the illustrations and Linda helped her to pick the colors," Chudzinski said. "So the book came out 10 years after he died and really was a family affair." Although a lot of younger people haven't heard of Little Toot, everyone has heard of Walt Disney, he said. "You can definitely see the Disney influence on his characters and design, and also Hardie had a big influence on Disney's early animation," said Chudzinski. The exhibit, which features over 100 items, will remain on display for three years. Visitors may view the exhibit by making an appointment through the online form at https://www.mazzamuseum.org/schedule-visit/ or by contacting Ann Arbaugh at 419-434-5521 or ann.arbaugh@findlay.edu. Wolf: 419-427-8419 jeanniewolf@thecourier.com