National Comedy Center Opens Exhibit Honoring Life and Work of Norman Lear

American comedy museum and archive the National Comedy Center has opened a new exhibit celebrating the legacy of legendary TV producer Norman Lear in civic engagement and comedy.

Lear’s life work is being honored with an online exhibit and a physical installation at the Comedy Center’s galleries in Jamestown, N.Y., both of which feature rare archival material and select excerpts from Lear’s sitcoms. Original artwork by Shepard Fairey courtesy of People for The American Way’s Artists for Democracy campaign, founded by Lear in 1981, will also be on display.

“My husband, Norman would be thrilled to know the National Comedy Center is using humor to shine a light on the importance of voting and defending democracy,” said Lyn Davis Lear. “From flying combat missions during World War II, to sharing the Declaration of Independence with our country, Norman fought his entire life to ensure all Americans have the freedom to participate in our democratic process.”

The multimedia exhibit will also explain how Lear helped introduce political comedy into the homes of millions of Americans through shows like “All in the Family,” “Maude” and “Good Times” before it became a mainstay of American entertainment.

“Norman Lear elevated his art to meet the gravity of his sociopolitical moment, advancing an optimistic belief in the power and potential of an engaged citizenry,” said National Comedy Center executive director Journey Gunderson.

2024 will mark the first election year since Lear passed in 2023 at the age of 101. Lear was a six-time winner and an inaugural member of the Television Academy Hall of Fame. Some of his other writing credits include shows like “The Jeffersons,” “Sanford and Son” and “One Day at at Time.”