DAVE STEVENSON: THE ART OF THE MAP
New Exhibition at The Walt Disney Family Museum
To Run from September 15, 2010 – January 3, 2011

Special map of The Presidio of San Francisco created for the exhibit

SAN FRANCISCO – September 8, 2010 – When The Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio of San Francisco was looking for a way to illustrate the ancestry and family roots of Walt Disney, they turned to an imaginative Bay Area artist and mapmaker named Dave Stevenson.   His work, which will be on exhibit in the Lower Lobby of the Museum from September 15- to January 3, has been seen at the entrance to the Museum’s first gallery by thousands of visitors since the Museum opened.  Stevenson’s colorful map charts the journey of Disney family ancestors from Isigny-sur-Mer, France ( d’Isigny was Anglicized to Disney,) through England, Ireland and Canada to the United States.

Stevenson uses geography, cartography, graphic design, and artistic inspiration to create his maps. These works of art include history and landmarks, people, plants, and animals to communicate an accurate yet romantic, playful, or dramatic view of the places and events that he charts.  Included in the exhibition are maps of Maui, Antarctica, Egypt, and India, as well as the famous map, Treasures of the World, included as an insert in National Geographic.  Also featured are maps of Antarctica, Egypt, the Galapagos Islands, the Lewis and Clark expedition used in marketing Lindblad Expeditions and maps of the Mediterranean, and India, as well as a dramatic piece that charts the spread of the Black Death. A map of the Presidio of San Francisco drawn especially for this exhibition will also be on display.

 Born and raised in the Sonoma Valley, Stevenson has worked as a freelance illustrator specializing in maps for more than twenty years. His varied list of clients includes National Geographic, Lindblad Expeditions, Robert Mondavi Winery, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Microsoft, and The Walt Disney Family Museum. His work has appeared in various publications, and his numerous awards include a silver medal at the New York Art Directors Club and a silver award at the San Francisco Society of Illustrators.                                    

 The Walt Disney Family Museum will screen the film Treasure Island as its film-of-the-month during October, and public programs and gallery experiences during the month will focus on aspects of both the film and map making.

The fascinating and inspiring story of Walt Disney, whose artistry, imagination and vision helped define 20th-century America, has been brought to life at The Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio of San Francisco.  The Museum illuminates Walt Disney’s tremendous successes, disappointments, and unyielding optimism as he worked tirelessly to enhance the art of animation. Explore Walt’s remarkable life through ten interactive galleries that feature early drawings and animation, movies, music, listening stations, a 14-foot model of Disneyland and much more. The Walt Disney Family Museum, L.L.C. is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Family Foundation, a non-profit foundation. Open Wednesday – Monday 10:00am to 6:00pm on the on the Main Post of the Presidio.