By Eric Harris
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| Gallery view of the Jørgen Klubien at Disney and Pixar exhibition at the Hilbert Museum, featuring original Disney and Pixar drawings and storyboards. Photo by Eric Harris for TTDILA. |
If you’ve ever wondered what Disney and Pixar animation looks like before it becomes movie magic — before the polish, before the color, before the Pixie Dust — the Hilbert Museum’s new exhibition, Jørgen Klubien at Disney and Pixar, is essential viewing. This rare behind‑the‑scenes showcase reveals the original drawings, beat boards, and story sketches that shaped some of the most iconic animated films of the 1990s and 2000s.
Running February 7 to October 4, 2026, the exhibition features more than 50 original works by Danish-born animator and story artist Jørgen Klubien (often spelled Jorgen in English). His work helped define beloved Disney and Pixar films including The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Pocahontas, Mulan, A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., and Cars, for which he contributed the original story and early character concepts.
For animation fans, Disney historians, and families looking for a unique museum experience in Orange County, this exhibition is a standout.
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| Detail from Ariel Surprised 2, an animation rough by Jørgen Klubien for The Little Mermaid (1989). The drawing captures Ariel’s expressive reaction during early stages of character exploration. Photo by Eric Harris for TTDILA. |
A Rare Look at Disney and Pixar Animation Before It Hits the Screen
During a recent tour with museum founder Mark Hilbert, I experienced the kind of access that transforms casual Disney fans into full-fledged animation enthusiasts. Most people have seen finished animation cels or concept art, but few encounter the raw, exploratory stage where characters are born and story sequences take shape.
The exhibition highlights this creative process through:
- Rough thumbnail sketches
- Character studies and gesture drawings
- Early design sheets
- Group interaction studies
- Beat boards and storyboards
- Visible edits, whiteout, and taped revisions
These imperfections (scissors-and-glue fixes, crossed-out names, and exploratory lines) are rarely shown in studio-produced behind-the-scenes materials. They reveal how Disney and Pixar characters evolve long before they appear on screen.
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| Storyboard detail from Mulan (1998) showing whiteout, cut paper edits, and layered revisions in Jørgen Klubien’s drawing. Photo by Eric Harris for TTDILA. |
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| Storyboard thumbnails by Jørgen Klubien for Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), featuring one crossed-out frame that reveals the iterative story process. Photo by Eric Harris for TTDILA. |
One delightful detail: a Toy Story 2 Jessie character sheet with crossed-out name options, a tiny piece of Pixar trivia you won’t find on any Blu-ray bonus feature.
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| Early character study for Jessie from Toy Story 2 (1999), featuring crossed out name options “Betsy” and “Bessie” before the final name “Jessie.” Photo by Eric Harris for TTDILA. |
The Lion King Storyboards: A Must-See for Animation Fans
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| Detail of Jørgen Klubien’s storyboard panel for The Lion King (1994), featuring Scar in the “Be Prepared” sequence. Photo by Eric Harris for TTDILA. |
The highlight of the exhibition is a pair of complete storyboard sequences from The Lion King, specifically the “Be Prepared” villain song (Sequence 7). These are the actual production boards used by the creative team.
Standing before them, you can follow the visual logic of the scene: the staging, camera angles, hyena choreography, and Scar’s theatrical swagger. Take a photo, then rewatch the film at home (around 27 minutes in) to compare Klubien’s drawings with the final animation. It’s a fascinating look at how Disney’s story artists translate pencil sketches into cinematic storytelling.
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| Full installation view of the complete two panel storyboard wall for The Lion King (1994), featuring 107 sequential drawings from the “Be Prepared” sequence. Photo by Eric Harris for TTDILA. |
How Disney Animation Fits the Hilbert Museum’s Mission
At first glance, a Disney and Pixar exhibition might seem unexpected for a museum known for its California Scene art, a movement that captured everyday California life in watercolor, oil, and gouache from the 1920s through the 1960s.
But the connection is surprisingly deep.
Many California Scene artists also worked in Hollywood’s animation studios, which helps explain why numerous works in the Hilbert Museum’s permanent collection feel connected to the visual language of classic animation. Preston Blair, Phil Dike and Lee Blair are among the artists whose paintings sit in the museum’s core holdings while their studio work shaped some of the most influential animated films of the twentieth century. Their presence in the permanent collection provides helpful context for understanding how regional art traditions and animation history often developed alongside one another.
A perfect example is Preston Blair, whose 1938 watercolor Bunker Hill Cable Car appears in the Hilbert’s permanent collection. Blair’s Fantasia (1940) work focused on Dance of the Hours, where he helped choreograph the hippo and alligator ballet that became one of the film’s standout sequences. He later created the iconic Red Hot Riding Hood (1943) for Tex Avery.
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| Preston Blair’s Bunker Hill Cable Car (1938), a watercolor showing prewar Los Angeles and the expressive style of a Disney and MGM animator. Photo by Eric Harris for TTDILA. |
That fiery redhead archetype has long captivated animation fans. I explored this lineage in my review of the Academy Museum’s “Color in Motion” exhibition, Lions, Tigers, and Redheads, Oh My!, where Technicolor’s obsession with vivid reds made certain gingers — real and animated — impossible to ignore. The Hilbert Museum’s blend of Disney art and California Scene painting makes these artistic connections feel natural and inevitable.
Other notable works on view include:
- Ben Abril, 3rd St. Tunnel and Angels Flight (c. 1960)
- Lee Blair, Mary by the Sea (1934)
- Phil Dike, featured in the concurrent exhibition Harbors and Horizons: Maritime Prints by Phil Dike
These works exemplify the shared DNA between California Scene art and Hollywood animation.
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| Ben Abril’s 3rd St. Tunnel and Angels Flight (c. 1960), an oil painting capturing the historic Los Angeles funicular and Bunker Hill streetscape. Photo by Eric Harris for TTDILA. |
Conclusion: A Must-See Disney and Pixar Exhibition in Orange County
Whether you’re a lifelong Disney fan, a California history enthusiast, or simply looking for a family-friendly museum near Disneyland, Jørgen Klubien at Disney and Pixar is a standout cultural experience. The Hilbert Museum’s collection of California narrative art is one of the largest in the world, and its location in Old Towne Orange makes it an easy stop for locals and visitors alike.
Come for the Disney and Pixar magic, or come for the California Scene masterpieces. Either way, you’ll find something that becomes, as a certain musical mermaid would say, “a part of your world.”
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| Detail from an animation rough of Ariel by Jørgen Klubien for The Little Mermaid (1989). This close-up highlights early gesture work and a handwritten “eyes” notation used during character development. Photo by Eric Harris for TTDILA. |
Plan Your Visit: Jørgen Klubien at Disney and Pixar
167 N. Atchison Street, Orange, CA 92866
Across from the Orange Metrolink/Amtrak station in Old Towne Orange
Closed Monday and Tuesday
Free 2-hour street parking on N. Cypress Street (museum side only)
Accessible parking available with a valid placard
Pro Tip: Pair your visit with a stroll through historic Old Towne Orange. Just steps away are antique shops, cafés, and beautifully preserved historic homes in styles ranging from Victorian to Craftsman bungalows.
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| Exterior of the Hilbert Museum featuring Millard Sheets’ monumental mosaic Pleasures Along the Beach (1969–70), originally installed on a Home Savings & Loan in Santa Monica. Photo by Eric Harris for TTDILA. |
