Sometimes I think I sound like a broken record as I write over and over about how the magic of Peanuts brings surprises and unexpected joy to my life.

In 2002 several of us from Creative Associates traveled to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China‎ to visit licensees, manufacturing plants, and stores carrying Peanuts products. At one store in Taipei featuring Peanuts products, I spoke with a young woman who introduced herself as Lucy, a name she had given herself because she loved all the Peanuts characters.

Lucy presented me with this handcrafted scene she had made in anticipation of my visit.

Her art has hung in my office since then and is admired by many visitors.

Lucy and I have written back and forth over the ‎ years and one day a beautiful gift arrived for me:

Lucy transformed this maquette of the Lucy statue from the St Paul’s Peanuts on Parade festival in 2002. Lucy is covered with over 3000 Swarovski crystals. This statue had a home in our studio at 1 Snoopy Place for many years.

Then in October last year Lucy told me that she had tickets to come fly to Tokyo to see the Ever and Never Peanuts Exhibition at the Mori Gallery (see my previous blog). ‎She planned her trip for the opening week when  I was there. We had a lovely reunion 11 years after our first meeting in Taiwan.

The Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, features Snoopy rooms with plush characters, pillows, robe and towels all with the Snoopy logo.

Lucy brought me this hand-decorated maquette. An original statue of Snoopy on his doghouse greets Museum visitors at our front door.

This spring Lucy wrote me that one of her dreams was coming true and that she would be attending Beaglefest in June here in Santa Rosa.

Lucy and two friends had a wonderful time at Beaglefest, and we were able to see each other for several nice visits. Lucy brought another gift of her art work based on our visit in Tokyo.

Lucy visits Snoopy’s Gallery and Gift Shop to see her Peanuts crafts on display.

I asked Lucy if she had taken art classes and how she happened to be able to create these beautiful three-dimensional works. She said that she had no particular training, but she loved making things with her hands.

Lucy was amazed and pleased when she saw her 2002 artwork in my office with the photo taken in the Taiwanese store where she first presented me with this gift.

I could never have expected when we met in Taiwan in 2002 before the Museum had even opened, that the Museum and all the events surrounding it would bring us together in a true international friendship.

 

—Jean Schulz