McCay Day to Celebrate Artist's 150th Birthday
The Spring Lake District Library's annual McCay Day event in 2017 will observe the 150th anniversary of the birth of comic strip artist and pioneering animator Winsor Zenas McCay. This year's event takes place on Tuesday, June 13. Activities are planned for family enjoyment throughout the day with guest artists Aaron Zenz and Kevin Collier. Also, the parcel of land next to the library that features the Winsor McCay historic marker sign on Exchange Street is being designated as "McCay Park" and plans are underway to develop the site. Initial plans call for a statue of McCay's Gertie the Dinosaur character and a informational gazebo where people can read about the artist with historic plagues on display. Also soon to be on display inside the library will be an enlargement of a photograph of Winsor McCay's famous 1880 "Sinking of the Alpena" illustration.
Winsor Zenas McCay: Spring Lake resident from 1867-1885
Spring Lake, Michigan is the hometown of Winsor McCay, groundbreaking comic strip artist, and pioneering animator. In 2009, a historical marker was placed on the location where Winsor's childhood school once stood, Spring Lake Union School, were he created his first commercial illustration, The Sinking of the Alpena, in October 1880. The illustration, drawn on the schoolhouse blackboard, was photographed, and sold as postcards. It got McCay, who previously cared little if others liked his work, to thinking, "Maybe I can make money doing this."
Robert McKay, and his wife Janet, moved to Spring Lake, Michigan in 1866, encouraged by entrepreneur Zenas G. Winsor, who Robert found employment with. Janet McKay journeyed to West Zorra, Ontario, Canada, to be with her folks for the birth of their first child, whom they named, Zenas Winsor McKay on September 26, 1867. He was named after Robert's friend and employer, Zenas Gilbert Winsor. Janet returned with their young son to their rental home in Spring Lake.
By 1870, the McKays built their first home, on the corner of Meridian and Tolford Streets, in a humble, but prestigious part of Spring Lake. They would see success, as did their son Winsor, and tragedy as well, when they lost their home to a fire, and Winsor's namesake suffered a devastating crisis that influenced young Winsor.
A new book, "Winsor McCay: Boyhood Dreams," is a book like no other about the artist as it tells, in detail, the period completely missing from his life - the first 18 years. It's where he learned to draw, who he knew, and influenced him, and how he came to draw the sinking of the passenger ship, The Alpena, and the secret emotional story behind it. Also, a local event that likely inspired his Slumberland character Little Nemo.
Contact this page manager Kevin Scott Collier at kevinscottcollier(at)yahoo.com
