A PBS documentary about the life of Walt Disney that premiered Monday night featured commentary from Carmenita Higginbotham, associate professor in the McIntire Department of Art.
Higginbotham has studied Disney extensively and teaches the course “The Art of Disney.”
Her interest in Disney, she said, began when she took a class during her time as an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota.
“It was interesting but I didn’t take it too seriously,” Higginbotham said.
When she joined the American Studies faculty at the University, they were looking for some different classes on unique topics.
“I recalled my time at Minnesota and thought it would be a good topic to revive,” Higginbotham said.
Part of what made this project unique was the unprecedented access to never-before-seen footage from Disney, Higginbotham said. In the past, independent projects have had difficulty gaining access to this kind of material.
“Disney keeps tight control over its own history and it can be very difficult to break through,” Higginbotham said. “There is footage that has never been seen outside of the Disney studio.”
The project is part of the American Experience series, which is known for its features on great men in history.
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