Bright spot

November 12, 2009 Last Updated: November 12, 2009 02:35 PM Weekend Entertainment

One of only three museums in the nation dedicated exclusively to the cartoon arts, the ToonSeum opens its new space Saturday on Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh. The museum had formerly been housed by the Pittsburgh Children's Museum.

PITTSBURGH — The ToonSeum, Pittsburgh's Museum of Cartoon Art, is opening the doors to its new home at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The museum's new space is in the Bruno Building, 945 Liberty Ave. in Pittsburgh's Cultural District. The ToonSeum was housed for the past two years by the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh.

The ToonSeum is one of only three museums in the nation dedicated exclusively to the cartoon arts.

Its new location more than triples its current space, allowing for expanded exhibitions, educational programs, a permanent gallery and an area dedicated to local and independent artists.

The ToonSeum will feature new exhibitions every two to three months, beginning with "Enchanted Drawings: A Century of Animation." This exhibit features original art from Gertie the Dinosaur to SpongeBob, among others. On display will be rare artifacts, including an original animation director's desk from one of Disney's early studios.

The first featured regional artist will be Ed Piskor, who has worked with writer Harvey Pekar on projects such as "Macedonia" and "The Beats." His independent work includes the series "Wizzywig."

Part of the ambitious exhibition schedule for its first year will be one of the largest exhibitions of original art from the anime classic "Akira."Other exhibitions for 2010 will feature cartoon canines, "Ziggy" by Tom Wilson, and a chance to explore the social impact of the comic arts through "The Montgomery Story," a controversial civil rights comic.The ToonSeum also will host an ongoing lecture series and workshops for all ages.The new space — a little more than 1,000 square feet — includes a gift shop.Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for children ages 5 to 17. Children younger than 5 are free. Advanced tickets for the opening weekend are available at the Web site, www.brownpapertickets.com/event/87269.More information is available by calling 412-232-0674 or by visiting the Web site, www.toonseum.org.Hours of operation will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays; closed major holidays.