Central High School students exhibit Charles Schulz-inspired comics at MN History Center

Randy Schutt and the students in his Intermediate Drawing class at Central High School in St. Paul came to the Minnesota History Center on Wednesday to attend a gallery opening.

There, in the Heffelfinger Room, the students admired the work of some up-and-coming artists.

Spoiler alert: It was their art, comic panels inspired by the work of Central High School graduate Charles M. Schulz and his “Peanuts” comic strip that many of them grew up knowing through television specials or through the Charlie Brown and Snoopy statues they saw around St. Paul and, yes, sometimes in the comic section of newspapers.

The artistic assignment was part of the Minnesota History Center’s community engagement efforts tied to “The Life & Art of Charles M. Schulz,” an exhibit that opened in July at the museum.

This student gallery, “Art by the Cehiseans of 2023” (Central students as known as “Cehiseans”), is located on the first floor of the museum and is free to view through March 8.

Central roots

This exhibit is where the students started their special field trip on Wednesday.

For some, it was news that Schulz grew up in St. Paul and graduated from their high school — and that the budding artist once endured a rather shocking slight during his junior year.

In the exhibit, a panel mentions that Schulz’s high school art teacher, Minette Rose Paro, encouraged him to submit some of his work for submission into the high school yearbook.

“But when he received his copy,” the panel notes, “none of his work was included.”

He never forgot the omission.

“To this day,” he said in 1975, “I do not know why they were rejected.”

Never mind, the world accepted him — celebrated him — not so long after he graduated from Central on June 14, 1940. By the 1950s, Schulz was a nationally syndicated cartoonist. He eventually settled in California, where he died at the age of 77 on Feb 12, 2000 — before any of these students were born.

That might explain why not everyone of this generation is as familiar with the artist himself as they are with the world he created.

“I love Charles … whatever his name is,” said 15-year-old Aisley Cunnien as she sat at a light table exploring tracings of the “Peanuts” characters she did know by name, including Snoopy and Charlie Brown.

Others weren’t surprised that Schulz was a Central grad.

“A lot of people go to Central,” said 15-year-old Brooklyn Patterson.

“Everyone goes to Central,” 16-year-old Reniyah Criss replied.

Separated by 83 years, united by art

Earlier this school year, 83 years after Schulz graduated, Mr. Schutt’s art students began to create their own cartoon panels with the help of Roshan Ganu, a multimedia narrative artist and professor who is also a teaching artist with COMPAS, a nonprofit education organization that teaches through art.

Inspired by Schulz’s 1962 book, “Happiness is a Warm Puppy,” the students were each tasked with creating a comic in six panels using the prompt, “Happiness is …” or others, including:

“Sadness is …”

“Love is …”

“Home is …”

“The color blue is …”

One popular prompt was weather-related (these kids sure are Minnesotans): “Fall is …”

From gender identity to God to pets to the outdoors, the panels show what these kids are thinking about.

“One of the students asked if it could be about their canoeing trip,” Ganu said. “I said, ‘Of course.'”

In “Happiness is Canoeing,” a student named Henry Brandt documented the joy of lake life:

“On a calm evening on a remote lake,

“The paddler enters the canoe,

“And silently paddles onto the lake.

“In the glow of the sunset,

“The paddler finds peace.

“All is calm.”

What they learned

What did these artists learn from the exercise?

In “Happiness is a Rabbit,” Will Dudley learned that it’s challenging to sum up a character’s essence quickly, especially the character of Simon, his pet rabbit.

“He’s a very complicated rabbit,” said Dudley, 15. “You can’t sum up his personality in six panels.”

For 17-year-old Yuri Rivers, who created a blue-paneled comic that touched on themes including sadness and music, the panels were a way to introduce himself.

“I liked that we were able to get our own things out there, our own selves portrayed,” Rivers said. “It was just very nice to have something of our own in the public view.”

As she drew a story about a leaf falling, 16-year-old Cecilia Palombo learned that communication is more important than perfection.

“We learned that you should try to focus on what you’re trying to tell people, rather than just making the drawing crisp and neat,” Palombo said.

Just like Schulz, their creations show a sense of vulnerability. When Schulz was in high school, World War II was ramping up. In our time, these kids have grown up in a worldwide pandemic.

“I can feel the complexity of their emotions,” says Kimmy Tanaka, community engagement manager at the Minnesota Historical Society.

Those emotions include fun, too. Especially during the event’s finale.

At every gallery opening, of course, there must be refreshments. On Wednesday, it wasn’t canapes and champagne, but pizza and pop that the artists enjoyed before returning to school.

They hope people stop by to see their work (their principal already has).

“It’s a huge honor,” their teacher, Mr. Schutt, reflected, “to be part of Charles Schulz’s legacy at Central High School.”

Art by the Cehiseans of 2023

•What: Central High School art students (known as “Cehiseans”) created comic panels inspired by Charles M. Schulz, a 1940 Central High School graduate and creator of “Peanuts.”

•Where: The Heffelfinger Room on the first floor of the Minnesota History Center, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul.

•When: Now through March 8 during regular museum hours

•Admission: Free (but general admission is required for other parts of the museum, including “The Life & Art of Charles M. Schulz”).