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Carl Barks Retrospective Opens at GEM

"Business Long Overdue" by Carl Barks is just one of the pieces that will be on display during the Carl Barks Retrospective at Geppi's Entertainment Museum. It begins July 17, 2009. [Click for larger images]

"The Stone That Turns All Metals Gold"

The retrospective will offer a rare glimpse at a number of Barks' non-Disney paintings, which include landscapes, character pieces, and more, inclduing "Old King Cole."

Barks would often play with the composition or color scheme (or both) in his preliminaries, as seen here.

Among the developmental work on display will be this pencil sketch by Barks, which was done in preparation for his famous Porky Pig cover for The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #7 in 1977.

"David Duck and Goliath Goose"

"Officer Donald"

Carl Barks

Geppi's Entertainment Museum kicks off its Carl Barks Retrospective with special grand opening gala on Friday night, July 17, 2009, spotlighting the work of the famed Disney artist and creator of Uncle Scrooge McDuck.

Barks' work in multiple mediums is showcased, including traditional line art from comic books, sculpture, pencil drawings, preliminary paintings and studies, and his highly sought after oil-on-masonite paintings.

The retrospective will be particularly weighted toward a significant percentage of the master’s 125 oil-on-masonite paintings, and the event represents the largest exhibit ever assembled of the late Disney creator’s compositions. It draws from the personal collections of GEM founder and President Steve Geppi and noted collector Kerby Confer, widely regarded as the two largest privately held collections of paintings, as well as other donors.

GEM will also host a sale of Barks originals, lithographs, statues and Barks-themed items by Diamond International Galleries during the retrospective, which into September.

Among the Barks masterpieces to be exhibited are “Live it Up Kid,” “A 1934 Belchfire Runabout,” and “Rich Finds at Inventory Time.”

The retrospective will also include “Yesterday's Mansion,” a non-duck landscape, an Uncle Scrooge Four Color cover preliminary drawing, the preliminary painting for “Holiday in Duckburg,” two color preliminaries for “Menace Out of Myths,” a pencil preliminary for “She Was Star Spangled & Flashy,” a pencil preliminary For “Christmas Trimming,” and the Porky Pig pencil drawing done in preparation for his famous cover to The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #7.

On display and available for purchase through Diamond International Galleries will be Barks mini-lithographs such as “Hot Defense,” “Gifts For Shacktown,” “Pick & Shovel Laborer,” “Hi, I'm Donald Duck,” “Menace Out of the Myths,” “Goose Egg Nugget,” “Lavender & Old Lace,” “Menace From the Grotto,” “Dude For a Day,” “Christmas Trimming,” and “Luck of the North.”

For additional information, visit Geppi’s Entertainment Museum online, call (410) 625-7060, or stop by at 301 W. Camden Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. The museum is located on the second floor of the historic Camden Station building, immediately next door to Oriole Park and right across the street from the Baltimore Convention Center.