Sam McKim Centennial Celebration

Sunday, Nov 10, 2024 at 2:00 PM to 8:45 PM PST

2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana, California, 92706, United States

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General Admission- 3:30 PM Presentation Partial Approval - $100.00

First show check-in time begins at 2:30 pm, to enjoy the Sam McKim Centennial Gallery exhibit, followed by our 3:30 tribute presentation in the Kershaw Auditorium. For this event, we are pleased to have special guests: Walt Disney Imagineer Kim Irvine; Animator and Disney Legend Floyd Norman; Actor and Screen Writer Michael McGreevey; Walt Disney Studios Producer Dorothy L. McKim; and our host, former Walt Disney Imagineer Matt McKim, along with our panel moderator, author Bill Cotter.

sales ended

General Admission- 5:45 PM Presentation Partial Approval - $100.00

Second show check-in time begins at 4:30 pm, to enjoy the Sam McKim Centennial Gallery exhibit, followed by our 5:45 tribute presentation in the Kershaw Auditorium. For this event, we are pleased to have special guests: Walt Disney Imagineer and Disney Legend Bob Gurr; Animator and Designer Willie Ito; Former Disney Animator Brian McKim; and our host, former Walt Disney Imagineer Matt McKim, along with our panel moderator, author Bill Cotter.

Sale ended

VIP Admission- 3:30 PM Presentation Partial Approval - $200.00

VIP first show VIP check-in time begins at 2:00 pm. **VIP ticket holders will have early access to our pop-up gallery shop, as well as entry to enjoy the Sam McKim Centennial Gallery exhibit. This is followed by our 3:30 pm tribute presentation in the Kershaw Auditorium. For this event, we are pleased to have special guests: Walt Disney Imagineer Kim Irvine; Animator and Disney Legend Floyd Norman; Actor and Screen Writer Michael McGreevey; Walt Disney Studios Producer Dorothy L. McKim; and our host, former Walt Disney Imagineer Matt McKim, along with our panel moderator, author Bill Cotter. **VIP ticket holders will be given an opportunity to meet our guest speakers after the show.

sales ended

VIP Admission- 5:45 PM Presentation Partial Approval - $200.00

VIP Second show check-in time begins at 4:00 pm. **VIP ticket holders will have early access to our pop-up gallery shop, as well as entry to enjoy the Sam McKim Centennial Gallery exhibit. This is followed by our 5:45 tribute presentation in the Kershaw Auditorium. For this event, we are pleased to have special guests: Designer and Disney Legend Bob Gurr; Animator and Designer Willie Ito; Former Disney Animator Brian McKim; and our host, former Walt Disney Imagineer Matt McKim, along with our panel moderator, author Bill Cotter. **VIP ticket holders will be given an opportunity to meet our guest speakers after the show.

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Sunday, Nov 10, 2024 at 2:00 PM to 8:45 PM PST

Bowers Museum, 2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana, California, 92706, United States.

The Sam McKim Centennial

Celebrating a brilliant artist, a respected gentleman, and Disney Legend

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Sam McKim?

The late Sam McKim is best known for his work as an Imagineer and was inducted as a Disney Legend (a distinguished honor created by the Walt Disney Company) in 1996. He contributed to many Disney Park projects including Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, The Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the highly sought after Disneyland poster-sized Fun Map souvenir. He had an extraordinary life as an artist. From his first career as a child actor to working as a sketch artist for 20th Century Fox, then finding his way to the Walt Disney Studios to create drawings for a theme park that Walt Disney was dreaming up. Sam was an integral part of the first generation of Imagineers who helped create and build Disneyland.

For more information on Disney Legend Sam McKim, click the link below (or paste in your browser) to see a brief biography from the Walt Disney Company:

https://d23.com/walt-disney-legend/sam-mckim/

What is the Sam McKim Centennial?

The Sam McKim Centennial is a celebration of this well-respected artist and Disney Legend. This year marks what would have been his 100th birthday.

This celebration event will feature a presentation from family members of Sam McKim and distinguished guest speakers (some who knew and worked with him closely during his time with Disney), and a temporary gallery exhibit showcasing Sam’s original artwork, including concepts of a few iconic Disney Park attractions and Walt Disney Production movies. A limited amount of pre-sale merchandise will also be available for this event.

The Sam McKim Centennial will consist of two separate events on two different dates. Each presentation will last approximately 2.5 hours and includes viewing time of the temporary gallery exhibit. The first event will be held on November 10, 2025, at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, CA. The second event is planned for December (a date and location will be announced later). Tickets prices for admission will be announced soon.

Why are you celebrating Sam McKim this year?

The Sam McKim Centennial is a celebration of what would have been Disney Legend
Sam McKim’s 100th birthday, December 20, 2024. This special event will serve to inspire a new generation of artists, designers and would-be Imagineers of Sam’s creativity- a legacy continued by his family.

This occasion will also be a “thank you” to the community of Disney fans, theme park aficionados, and guests who have enjoyed the work of Sam McKim in Disney parks throughout the years.

Is the Sam McKim Centennial free?

The Sam McKim Centennial will require the purchase of a ticket for each event presentation.

Where can I buy tickets for the Sam McKim Centennial?

Tickets will be sold on-line, only (more information coming soon for the Gala Event in December). Tickets will not be available to purchase day-of at the event.

What are the ticket prices for this event?

General admission tickets are available for $100 each, which includes a PreShow of original artwork, photos, artifacts and film clips from Sam's Hollywood days, and an hour and a half presentation of Sam's life including a panel of distinguished Disney guests. After the presentation, you will be able to purchase Sam McKim artwork on merchandise.

VIP tickets are available for $200 each, which includes early entry into the PreShow of original artwork, photos, artifacts and film clips from Sam's Hollywood days. Front row seating and special meet and greet with guest speakers and family members. VIP tickets also allow for"first in line" for the merchandise, and includes a special gift. 

** if Handicapped "seating" is required, please specify with a note to us. There are 6 Handicapped spaces for wheelchair or scooter for each presentation. **

Will the event be free for children?

Children ages 3 years and older will need to have a ticket purchased for the Sam McKim Centennial. Prices will be the same for children and adults.

Is the Sam McKim Centennial sponsored by the Walt Disney Company?

The Sam McKim Centennial is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company or related businesses (e.g. The Disneyland Resort, D23, or Imagineering). This special celebration is being produced independently by the Sam McKim family.

Is this a family friendly event? Is the event suitable for children?

The Sam McKim Celebration is a family friendly event. It is produced independently by the Sam McKim family and is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company.

This unique celebration will include a of panel of Sam McKim’s family members and distinguished guest speakers. The presentation is a talk; it will be a discussion and lecture format that highlights historical information, stories, and anecdotes, along with audio/visual elements, as related to the life of Disney artist Sam McKim and his creative process. In addition, a temporary gallery exhibit featuring original artwork and concept drawings by Sam, including unique artifacts (many items related to Disney theme park history) will be on display.

Is there a gallery exhibit for Sam McKim’s artwork that I can visit? Can I just view the artwork and not attend the presentation talk?
A paid admission ticket to this special event is a package that includes entry to the temporary Sam McKim gallery exhibit and to the theater presentation of guest speakers.

The Sam McKim gallery is a temporary exhibit created exclusively with the presentation of guest speakers. It will not be available for the general public to view, nor can a ticket be purchased separately.

Will I be able to meet Disney Legends or Imagineers at this event?

Many of Sam McKim’s friends and colleagues were Disney artists and Imagineers. The Sam McKim family has graciously invited many of these long-time, close friends to attend or speak at this celebration.

Appearances of invited Disney guests, speakers, or other notable attendees are not guaranteed.  Any interactions or meetings with any special invited guest by the Sam McKim family will be at the discretion of each individual.

Will there be merchandise or collectibles to buy at the event?

A limited amount of Sam McKim Centennial merchandise will be available at the event. There will be a pop-up store available to shop during the Bowers Museum event.

Where do I park?

The parking lot to the North (to the right, looking at the front of the museum) is paid parking, except after 3pm. There is a South parking lot to the (to the left, looking at the front of the museum) at 20th and Main St. (Bell Tower). You can ignore the QR code sign and park for free.

Matthew McKim

Matt McKim is the executive producer of the Sam McKim Centennial event and board member of the Sam McKim Family Gallery, LLC.

Contact the Organizer

Learn more aboutMatt McKim Matt McKim
Matt McKim
Sam McKim Centennial Executive Producer and Sam McKim Family Gallery Board Member
Host

Matt McKim's Disney career began in 1982. Like many college students in Southern California, Matt took a seasonal job at Disneyland while attending California State University Northridge. His first role was in Fantasyland merchandise. Then, he transferred to the "Zoo Crew," better know to the public as the famous "character department." On his last day on-the-job at Disneyland, he clocked out before midnight then started his new career the next morning, following in his dad's footsteps and becoming an Imagineer. Matt's work as a sculptor and production designer led him to work on projects on every Disney park in the world until his retirement in 2020. His latest project was creating the Sam McKim Family Gallery LLC, and is the executive producer of the Sam McKim Centennial Celebration event.

About Matt McKim

Sam McKim Centennial Executive Producer and Sam McKim Family Gallery Board Member
Host
Learn more aboutBill Cotter Bill Cotter
Bill Cotter
Author & Historian
Host and Panel Moderator

Bill Cotter began compiling information on Disney's television history when he worked for the Walt Disney Company between 1976 and 1982. The co-­curator of the Chicago Museum's exhibit "The Genius of Disney: The Television Years," he has written more than 200 magazine and newspaper articles on the history of movies and television. Bill has also become a favorite personality within the Disney community to host discussions and panels of guest speakers at events due to his extensive Disney knowledge and passion. He lives in Granada Hills, California.

https://www.billcotter.com

About Bill Cotter

Author & Historian
Host and Panel Moderator
Learn more aboutDorothy McKim Dorothy McKim
Dorothy McKim
Producer, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Sam McKim Family Gallery Board Member
3:30 PM Show

Dorothy McKim is a two-time Emmy® Award-winning ("Prep & Landing," "Prep & Landing: Operation: Secret Santa,") and Oscar nominated ("Get A Horse!") producer. She began her career with The Walt Disney Studios in 1980 in the staffing department before moving into Editorial/Cutting for live-action programs on the Disney Channel. She later moved to production roles in animation beginning with "Oliver & Company" (1988). She and her husband, Brian, live in Santa Clarita, California, and have a son, Tyler, who also works at Walt Disney Studios, and a daughter, Natalie. In her spare time, Dorothy works as an ice skating coach.

About Dorothy McKim

Producer, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Sam McKim Family Gallery Board Member
3:30 PM Show
Learn more aboutMichael McGreevey Michael McGreevey
Michael McGreevey
Actor and Screen Writer
3:30 PM Show

Actor and screen writer Michael McGreevey began his professional career at the age of seven. Ultimately, he appeared in 18 motion pictures and over 100 television shows as a young actor. Michael is perhaps best known by Disney fans from his roles in numerous episodes of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color and in Disney's Dexter Riley film series: The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972), and The Strongest Man in the World (1975). Set at fictional Medfield College, these three films featured Kurt Russell as college student Dexter Riley and McGreevey as his friend Richard Schuyler. He also appeared as a different character in the Disney films Snowball Express (1972) and The Shaggy D.A. (1976). Upon graduating from UCLA Film School with Honors, he continued to work as an actor, and later moved behind the camera to take on writing, directing, and producing. His first professional writing assignment was collaborating with his father, John McGreevey (Emmy Award; WGA Laurel Award) developing a three-hour movie for television about the Kennedy assassination entitled "Ruby and Oswald." Michael's career in the entertainment business spans more than 50 years, and is passionate to keep on working.

http://www.michaelmcgreevey.com/

About Michael McGreevey

Actor and Screen Writer
3:30 PM Show
Learn more aboutKim Irvine Kim Irvine
Kim Irvine
Walt Disney Imagineering
3:30 PM Show

Kim Irvine is Executive Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering. For the last four decades, she has led a team in Anaheim charged for maintaining the look and feel of Disneyland park. She never went to college for formal art training, but rather, it was at Imagineering that she had amazing teachers and mentors such as Rolly Crump, Mary Blair, Blaine Gibson, Marc Davis, and John Hench. Her mother Leota Toombs was one of the first women to work for Imagineering, then known as WED Enterprises. But, As Disney park fans know, it's Toombs' image and voice as Madame Leota in the Haunted Mansion that remains one of the most iconic and memorable characters from the attraction. When Disneyland introduced the seasonal Nightmare Before Christmas holiday makeover for the ride, Kim found herself taking the role as the face of Madame Leota. In addition to her mother's connection with Disney, her legacy includes her father, Disney animator Harvey Toombs and her onetime father-in-law, Richard Irvine, an executive who led Walt Disney Imagineering.

About Kim Irvine

Walt Disney Imagineering
3:30 PM Show
Learn more aboutFloyd Norman Floyd Norman
Floyd Norman
Animator and Disney Legend
3:30 PM Show

Floyd Norman is an animator, writer, and cartoonist. Breaking boundaries, he was the first African American animator hired at the Disney Studios in 1956. As a young artist, he is very proud to have worked with Walt Disney, being hand-picked by the boss himself, to work on Jungle Book. While at Disney, he worked as an in-betweener and animator on Sleeping Beauty, The Sword in the Stone, and The Jungle Book, along with various animated shorts at the studio. After Disney, he ventured on his own to co-found Vignette Films, Inc., with business partner animator/director Leo Sullivan. Vignette Films, Inc. produced six animated films and was one of the first companies to produce films on the subject of black history. He worked for other animation studios including Hanna-Barbera Productions, Ruby-Spears, Filmation and Roman. He returned to Disney in the 1980s, eventually working in the story department for “Mulan.” He then moved to Pixar (later acquired by Disney) and worked on “Toy Story 2” and “Monsters, Inc.” Floyd still keeps busy with appearances with the Disney and Animation community, or serving as a contributor or mentor for others and their creative projects. In fact, you can see him as the main subject in the documentary, "Floyd Norman: An Animated Life." Floyd was inducted as a Disney Legend in 2007.

https://www.floydnormanmovie.com/

About Floyd Norman

Animator and Disney Legend
3:30 PM Show
Learn more aboutBrian McKim Brian McKim
Brian McKim
Former Disney Animator and Sam McKim Family Gallery Board Member
5:45 PM Show

Brian McKim is the oldest son of Disney Legend Sam McKim. Even before thinking of working as an artist for the Walt Disney Studios, Brian worked a few summers in between art school as an intern on the Burbank lot, first in the studio's animation morguen then with the art prop department. After earning his BA in art from California State University Northridge, then an MFA from Art Center in Pasadena, He worked as an in-betweener, then clean up key animator at the Disney Studios. His career spanned over 15 years working on animated shorts and features that included The Great Mouse Detective, Oliver and Company, The Little Mermaid, Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas and The Lion King. He met his wife producer Dorothy McKim while working at Disney. They have a son, Tyler, who also works at the Disney Studios, and a daughter, Natalie. Recently, with his brother Matt, they founded the Sam McKim Family Gallery to continue the legacy of their father and inspire a new generation of young artists.

About Brian McKim

Former Disney Animator and Sam McKim Family Gallery Board Member
5:45 PM Show
Learn more aboutWillie Ito Willie Ito
Willie Ito
Animator, Designer and Writer
5:45 PM Show

Animator and designer Willie Ito was born in San Francisco to Japanese immigrants on July 17, sharing the same date as Disneyland's grand opening. As a child, from the moment he saw the Dwarfs marching in a scene from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in the theater, he knew he wanted to become an animator. Willie's family was incarcerated during World War II due to Executive Order 9066, first at the Tanforan Assembly Center and later the Topaz War Relocation Center in Utah. Following his family's release from Topaz, Ito and his family returned to San Francisco. After completing high school, Ito began to pursue an art career, attending the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles. In 1954, he began working as an assistant animator on Lady and the Tramp. Later, he went to Warner Bros. and worked with animators Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng. In the 1960s, he joined Hanna-Barbera Productions, contributing to shows including The Jetsons, The Flintstones, The Yogi Bear Show and Josie and the Pussycats. He returned to Disney in 1977 working in consumer products. In 1985, he returned to his animation roots as a founding member and director of character art, international with Walt Disney Television Animation. He retired from animation in 1999. In 2024, Ito announced his upcoming feature short animation film, "Hello Maggie," based on the children's book he authored, recounting his family's experience in a Japanese internment camp during World World II.

About Willie Ito

Animator, Designer and Writer
5:45 PM Show
Learn more aboutBob Gurr Bob Gurr
Bob Gurr
Designer and Disney Legend
5:45 PM Show

At 93 years young, Bob Gurr he is still going strong delighting audiences with his wonderful stories as a designer in the theme park and entertainment industries. Bob is best known for his early work at Walt Disney Imagineering, from creating the original Autopia cars at Disneyland, to helping design the first human audio-animatronic figure "Mr. Lincoln" for the 1964/65 New York World's Fair, to creating the iconic Monorails for Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Bob continued to stay active in the engineering field after his retirement from Disney in 1981, creating his own company, GurrDesign Inc. Never one to slow down, he can still consult if someone needs a touch of mechanical magic, but catch him now on his Youtube series, The Bob Gurr Show.

About Bob Gurr

Designer and Disney Legend
5:45 PM Show

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