MoMA’s Animation Matinees: How Drawings Become Moving Stories
| KEYWORD_WORLD · Culture · Checked 29 October 2026 (KST) |
MoMA’s new Animation Archive Matinees put the moving films beside the materials that helped create them. The New York series began on 21 October and runs through May 2027. A companion exhibition follows animation across more than a century, from hand-drawn characters to independent films.
The museum’s programme lists more than 250 selections across 41 programmes. One upcoming session on 29 October follows filmmaker Emily Hubley from analogue materials into digital filmmaking. Dates and times below are local to New York.
Two ways to see animation
The It’s Alive! exhibition opened on 1 August 2026 and is scheduled through summer 2027. It brings together work by more than 35 artists and filmmakers, with a particular focus on New York’s animation history. The gallery reveals the choices behind an image; the screenings let audiences see those choices unfold over time.
The accompanying matinees opened on 21 October with a screening and conversation. They continue into May 2027. A long-running series has different films on different days, so the programme page is the place to check the particular screening rather than treating the exhibition and every film as one event.
What to look for as an image moves
Animation creates the impression of movement from a sequence of images. In a simple flipbook, each page changes the drawing a little. Turning the pages quickly links the positions into an action. The flipbook is an illustration of the principle, not a claim about an object in the exhibition.
At the museum, look for how a line changes, how a background stays still while a figure moves, and how colour or sound alters the mood. MoMA describes a long history of hand-drawn work and artists who balanced personal filmmaking with projects for television. Those choices give a viewer something specific to follow beyond recognising a character.
A useful comparison: one artist, different tools
The Emily Hubley programme is listed for Thursday 29 October at 1:00 p.m. and Friday 6 November at 1:00 p.m. at MoMA’s Theater 2. The museum gives a total running time of 67 minutes and lists 13 films. Its notes describe four analogue examples from the 1980s and 1990s and nine later titles showing her move into digital filmmaking.
Try comparing the movement and texture in an earlier film with a later one, then listen to how the sound supports the image. The programme is a selection from one artist’s career; it offers a starting point for thinking about changing tools rather than a complete history of every animation method.
How to plan a screening
First choose a film and date on the museum’s programme page. Then check the individual event page for the time, theatre, availability and any changes. MoMA’s film admission page says a same-day museum admission includes film admission, with a separate screening ticket obtained at the ticketing desk, subject to availability. It also lists film-only tickets and advance booking details.
For example, someone interested in Hubley can compare the 29 October and 6 November listings, then check which seats are available for the date that suits them. A listed date does not itself reserve a seat. The gallery exhibition remains a separate part of the visit and has its own published run.
Which part of an animated film do you notice first: its drawings, movement or sound? Share your choice below, or send this guide to someone who enjoys seeing how films are made.
Source: Museum of Modern Art exhibition, series, individual event and film admission pages. Exhibition opened 1 August 2026; series began 21 October 2026. Checked 29 October 2026 (KST). Screening dates and times are New York local time.
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