Lines With Power, Purpose: Editorial Cartoons Exhibit In Temecula

From the City of Temecula: Lines with Power and Purpose: Editorial Cartoons will be on display in the second floor gallery at the Temecula Valley Museum for one month only beginning Tuesday, May 22, 2018.

Every day, editorial cartoonists deliver biting social commentary made palatable through amusing and well-crafted illustration. Lines with Power and Purpose features fifty-one original editorial cartoons published in the nation’s great metropolitan newspapers during the Golden Age of print journalism.

These deceptively simple drawings dealt with early to mid-twentieth century world events ranging from the two World Wars, the Great Depression, presidential elections, discontent with government, and more. These cartoons served a dual purpose – providing welcomed comic relief while, at the same time, helping to shape public opinion.

This exhibition demonstrates how cartoons can effectively expose hypocrisy, reveal contradictions, introduce new ideas, and promote fresh perspectives as news events unfold.

Included in the exhibit are cartoons by six Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonists, each demonstrating the theme of political commentary through editorial illustrations and addressing issues of national importance in the first half of the twentieth century.

Adding to the opening night celebrations scheduled for Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at 6:00 pm, the Temecula Valley Museum is proud to present two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and cartoonist for the San Diego Union Tribune Steve Breen, who will be on hand to share his unique insight on this exhibition, the history of political cartoons, and life as an editorial cartoonist.

The Melton Gallery at the University of Central Oklahoma, curator of this exhibition, has housed this set
of political cartoons for more than three decades. This exhibition was organized by ExhibitsUSA, a
program of Mid-America Arts Alliance.

About ExhibitsUSA
This exhibition is toured by ExhibitsUSA, a national program of Mid-America Arts Alliance. ExhibitsUSA
sends more than 25 exhibitions on tour to over 100 small and mid-sized communities every year. These
exhibitions create access to an array of arts and humanities experiences, nurture the understanding of
diverse cultures and art forms, and encourage the expanding depth and breadth of cultural life in local
communities. For more about ExhibitsUSA, email MoreArt@maaa.org or visit www.eusa.org

About Mid-America Arts Alliance
Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) strengthens and supports artists, cultural organizations, and
communities throughout our region and beyond. We achieve this primarily through our national
traveling exhibition programs, innovative leadership development, and strategic grant-making. We are
especially committed to enriching the cultural life of historically underserved communities by providing
high quality, meaningful, and accessible arts and culture programs and services. Each year, M-AAA’s
programs reach one million people. We believe in more art for more people. Additional information
about M-AAA is available at www.maaa.org

For more information on this exhibition, please call the Temecula Valley Museum at (951) 694-6450.

Image courtesy of the City of Temecula