NYC Exhibition Celebrates Snoopy's Enduring Influence on Art and Fashion
Our staff reporter, a die-hard Snoopy fan, got emotional at "Snoopy in Style."
Too late for the Whitney Biennial, too early for Armory Week, but through divine luck alone, I'm right on time for Snoopy in Style NYC. This free exhibition in Manhattan's Meatpacking District pinpoints the beloved cartoon beagle's global influence in art, fashion, sports, and music.
If you know, you know; but for those who don't — saying I'm just a fan of Snoopy would be a gross understatement. Therefore, this is very serious to me.
Like many others on the Zillennial cusp, I too got swept up in the cultural renaissance of Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts universe in recent years. This phenomenon spiked in the lead-up to the 75th anniversary of Snoopy's debut appearance in Schulz's comic strip, a milestone celebrated last October.
All of that is to say that I'm impressed with how the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, California, curated Snoopy in Style NYC. With a remarkable attention to detail, the exhibition juggles museum-level displays about Schulz's own life and the origins of each iconic Peanuts character with the spectacle of Snoopy's commercial and creative power.
I was also quite touched by the resounding love for late jazz musician Vince Guaraldi, who composed the memorable soundtracks for televised adaptations of Peanuts. Guaraldi's soundtracks were played in a section called Joe Cool's Listening Room — a cozy, lovingly assembled mid-century modern listening space with wooden fixtures, acoustic treatments, and warm lighting. This immersive outfit was as comfortably nostalgic as the recreation of Schulz's own studio permanently displayed at the Santa Rosa museum.
The bulk of the exhibition is devoted to Snoopy's irrefutable role in fashion. Considering how apparel is integral to how Snoopy embodies his alter egos, Joe Cool and World War I Flying Ace, I'm not surprised that dozens of clothing companies really went for it when dressing Snoopy and Woodstock dolls in haute couture. Labels including Adidas, American Eagle, Coach, Kith, Levi’s, Tommy Hilfiger, and others ensured that the beagle and his bird bestie were dripped out for any conceivable occasion — even Knicks in five.
