Red Skelton
The Grand Opening of the
Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy
Mrs. Lothian Skelton proudly welcomed overflow crowds of Red Skelton collectors and fans during the recent Grand Opening ceremonies of the Red Skelton Museum.
Visitors and collectors from around the world gathered in Vincennes, Indiana, Red’s birthplace, to officially launch the opening of the Museum on the campus of Vincennes University. The ceremonies honored the life and work of one of America’s greatest entertainers, patriots, humanitarians, artists and philanthropists.
The Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy enables us to preserve and share Red’s legacy with future generations. The Museum, adjoining the Red Skelton Performing Arts Center, features the life of Red, with displays of his fine art, rare, priceless
memorabilia donated by Mrs. Lothian Skelton and his collectors, and also numerous interactive displays, a radio sound stage and a theater where visitors can perform.
All of Mr. Skelton’s famous characters are featured in specially designed exhibits spread
throughout the Museum. Many of Red’s famous paintings are exhibited in the Museum’s gallery, rotating his art every month, encouraging visitors to return time and time again This proud and humble man, born into a traveling circus family, rose through the ranks of traveling medicine, minstrel and tent shows, Mississippi showboats, vaudeville, radio, starred in a record breaking 20 years of top ten national television, and over 50 motion pictures, authored over 4,000 short stories and books, and composed thousands of musical works, including 64 symphonies, played and recorded by some of the world’s finest musicians and orchestras.
Red is best remembered by the world as the quiet, gentle, lovable, hobo-philosopher character he created: Freddie the Freeloader. It is through Freddie that we learn about Red’s love, his faith, his patriotism, and his hopes and dreams for a greater, stronger America. Red created numerous world famous characters who came into our homes for twenty years. Those characters, including Clem Kadiddlehopper, Sheriff Deadeye, Cauliflower McPugg, and many others were all different facets of who he was and who we are. It was through these characters and those represented in his wonderful paintings that he touched our hearts, and taught us to be better, kinder, and more thoughtful and caring individuals.
his fine art to millions of new collectors around the world. These paintings, drawings and beautiful hand signed prints are much sought after by his serious collectors and investors, for whom the ownership of a Red Skelton work of art is the fulfillment of a lifetime dream.
Please join us at the Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy in Vincennes, Indiana, through which you can once again, experience the joys and happiness that Red brought to so many millions of people throughout the world.
The Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy will perpetuate Red’s legacy to future generations and will introduce
The Official Opening of the Red Skelton
Museum of American Comedy.
On July 18th, 2013, which would have been Red Skelton’s 100th Birthday, in his birthplace of Vincennes, Indiana, distinguished visitors and guests from around the world gathered together to honor the life and work of one of America’s greatest entertainers, patriots, humanitarians, and philanthropists.
This proud and humble man, born into a traveling circus family, rose through the ranks of traveling medicine shows, minstrel and tent shows, Mississippi showboats, vaudeville, radio, starred in a record breaking 20 years of top ten national television, and over 50 motion pictures, authored over 4,000 ideas and short stories over a period of 50 years, as well as full length books, and composed over 3,000 musical melodies, compositions, and symphonies, played and recorded by some of the world’s renowned musicians and orchestras.
Red Skelton’s heartfelt patriotic sentiments, and his strong, personal faith, were passionately expressed in his moving explanation of the great significance and nobility of every word in our Pledge of Allegiance, which was read twice into the Congressional Record and received forty-two awards.
Red’s many characters were all different facets of who he was, and who we are. It was through these characters that he touched our hearts, and taught us how to be better, kinder, more thoughtful and caring people.
As an extremely talented, highly collectable artist, who started painting the clowns that were his first family, as early as age five, he has preserved and shared his personal history and memories of the many characters he brought to life and into our homes and our lives. These works are much sought after by serious
Despite having accomplished more in his lifetime than 100 other acknowledged “geniuses”, Red is best remembered by the world as the quiet, gentle, lovable, hobo-philosopher character he created, Freddie the Freeloader.
It is through Freddie that we learn about Red’s love, his faith, his patriotism, and his hopes and dreams for a greater, stronger America. Freddie never asks for anybody to provide for him, if it would mean taking anything away from them; he never asks for rights or privileges that would require you to give up any of yours; and he was always nice to everybody, because he was taught that man is made in God’s image, and even though he never met God in person, “that next fellow just might be Him.”
collectors and investors, and by people for whom the ownership of a painting by Red Skelton is the fulfillment of a lifetime dream.
This is the man whose memory we wish to keep alive, whose life and work are honored in the restoration and preservation of his family home, the Red Skelton Performing Arts Center, and now in the new exciting Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy.
Presiding over the Grand Opening of the Museum, were Red Skelton’s daughter, Valentina, and Red’s loving wife Lothian, who expressed what we were all thinking, better than any of us could say it ourselves: awestruck, eye popping, heartwarming, and most gratifying experience, “I didn’t expect something as grand as what it is,” “It’s innovative, thoughtful, well planned,” “really something special.” We cannot top that sentiment, Mrs. Skelton said it all.
It is time that each of us revisits Red’s message, and shares it with the whole new generation of young Americans who are actively seeking inspiration, strong leadership and guidance for their future and ours.
