Clay Makin’

It’s not every day mere mortals get to rub elbows with a creative genius who snagged an Oscar at the onset of his career. But tonight at 5:00 at Miami International University of Art & Design, you can share some rarefied air with Will Vinton, best known for catapulting a handful of R&B-crooning raisins into the stratosphere.

The godfather of Claymation is in town for “I Heard It Through the Grapevine: The Art of Animation,” featuring Vinton’s personal animation art collection of sculpture drawings, renderings, and videos of his most recognizable characters in the university’s gallery. During the past three decades, Vinton has launched the careers of the California Raisins, the Pizza Hut Noid, DinosaursHerb and Rex, M&M’s “Red & Yellow” and The PJ’s Thurgood Stubbs, adding Emmy and Clio awards to his trophy case along the way. “The University is very fortunate to have a professional animator of Mr. Vinton’s caliber as a guest speaker,” gushes Erika Fleming, the school’s president.
Thu., Jan. 18, 5 p.m.; Jan. 18-Feb. 9