Photo by Peter Yang. Illustration courtesy of Shepard Faire & the National Comedy Center.
Norman Lear, the famed TV creator of hit shows & groundbreaking sitcoms including All in the Family, Maude, Good Times, & Sanford and Son, is being honored by the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York with a new exhibit honoring Lear's storied career in comedy & legacy of civic engagement officially open today.
Lear’s contributions are being honored with an installation inside the Comedy Center’s galleries in Jamestown, NY, and in an online companion exhibit, both featuring rare archival materials and curated excerpts from Lear’s beloved sitcoms.
An original artwork by Shepard Fairey will be featured courtesy of People for The American Way’s Artists for Democracy campaign, which was founded by Lear in 1981.
What the National Comedy Center is saying about the new Norman Lear exhibit.
This year marks the first modern election absent the legendary comedy producer, Emmy award winner and writer who passed in December 2023 after dedicating his life’s work to championing all Americans’ right to equal participation in the democratic process—starting with the right to vote.
On Lear’s 99th birthday in 2021 he reflected: “The right to vote is foundational. It is at the heart of everything I have fought for in war and in peacetime. Protecting voting rights should not be today’s struggle. But it is. And that means it is our struggle, yours and mine, for as long as we have breath and strength."
“My husband, Norman would be thrilled to know the National Comedy Center is using humor to shine a light on the importance of voting and defending democracy,” said Lyn Davis Lear. “From flying combat missions during World War II, to sharing the Declaration of Independence with our country, Norman fought his entire life to ensure all Americans have the freedom to participate in our democratic process.”
“Norman Lear elevated his art to meet the gravity of his sociopolitical moment, advancing an optimistic belief in the power and potential of an engaged citizenry,” said National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson.
The National Comedy Center serves as the United States' official museum & archive dedicated to the art of comedy. This new exhibition marks the latest of many additions to the beloved institution including the addition of Nate Bargatze's SNL cue cards & an original Inside Out 2 Illustration from Pixar.
For more information on the Norman Lear exhibit, visit comedycenter.org/lear.
