Mickey Mouse Celebrates 90th Birthday With Chelsea Exhibit

CHELSEA, NY — Mickey Mouse is celebrating his 90th birthday this fall and New York is invited to the party.

Disney plans to host an immersive art exhibit, "Mickey: The True Original Exhibition" in Chelsea come Nov. 8 to celebrate the revered rodent's impact on pop culture and art over the past nine decades.

The pop-up will pack the 16,000-square-foot exhibit at 60 Tenth Avenue with modern works and historic tributes to the iconic mouse, according to Disney executive Ken Potrock.

“We’ve partnered with the best muralists, sculptors, artists and designers to create original works that convey Mickey’s optimism and imagination,” Potrock said in a statement.

Curated by LA-based designer Darren Romanelli, the exhibit will feature original artwork from New York-based artists including Kenny Scharf and Shinique Smith, with more artists to be announced in the coming weeks.

Highlights include Scharf’s “Cosmic Cavern," an area decked out in fluorescent black light with paintings inspired by the Mickey Mouse watch sold by the Ingersoll-Waterbury Co. in 1933. It was one of the first products Mickey appeared on with more than 2.5 million sold by 1935.

Smith's installation honors the mouse with an abstract sculpture of plush dolls that represents the icon's impact on countless children who have cherished Mickey Mouse dolls over the years.

Mickey can trace his origins to New York with his global debut in "Steamboat Willie," a cartoon short shown at the Colony Theatre, known now as the Broadway Theatre, on Nov. 18, 1928.

The exhibit runs from Nov. 8, 2018 to Feb. 10, 2019 and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 60 10th Avenue. Tickets are available for $38 per person.

Lead photo of Mickey Mouse at Disneyland Resort in California. Secondary image pictures the Chelsea space for the "Mickey: The True Original Exhibition." The third image is of Kenny Scharf 's "Cosmic Cavern" included in the Chelsea exhibit. (Photos courtesy of Disney)