: Rube Goldberg's cartoons have become such a part of American
culture that his name appears as an adjective in the dictionary
for anything that is complicated but accomplishes little. In
1995, his comic strips were even commemorated on a US postage
stamp.
A rare opportunity to view original artwork created by the
Goldbergian mind is on view in "Creative Contraptions," a
four-part exhibition celebrating the influence of the
artist-inventor at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center (SMNC)
through May 22.
The exhibition includes original works from the Rube Goldberg
collection, which was donated by the artist's son, George W.
George of Stamford, to Williams College Museum of Art in
Williamstown, Mass. Additional loans come from cartoonist Bill
Jonocha of Stamford and Stuart Reisbord of Wallingford, Penn.
Complementing this trove is a section showcasing designs created
by four professional Connecticut artists who submitted proposals
for works that were inspired by Goldberg's original creations.
And because Goldberg's madcap designs appeal to kids of all ages,
other sections of the show feature K-12 concepts and even allow
visitors to sketch out their own "better mousetraps."
