Celebrate 20 Years of "Cars" Next Month as Walt Disney Family Museum Hosts Special Event Featuring Influential Pixar Artist Jay Ward

It's hard to believe that Pixar's Cars is 20 years old, but to tell you stories from "way back when," the Walt Disney Family Museum will be hosting a special event featuring a Pixar artist who was very influential for the hit film.

What's Happening:

• In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Pixar Animation Studio's Cars, the Walt Disney Family Museum will be hosting a special presentation featuring someone who contributed to the art from the favorite film.
• On Saturday, July 25, fans can make the theater at the Walt Disney Family Museum a pit stop on their summer road trip to hear from Jay Ward, as he shares his experiences contributing to the creation of the beloved feature, managing the character team, and serving as an automotive consultant.
• Jay Ward joined Pixar Animation Studios working in the Art department on the 2001 feature film, Monsters, Inc. He then began early development work for the 2006 film, Cars, and during the production, his deep knowledge of the world of automobiles made him a perfect fit to play other significant roles in the making of the film, including character team manager, and automotive consultant to the director and the movie’s creative team.
• He would go on to manage the Art departments for Ratatouille (2007) and Brave (2012). He also served as Associate Producer on the short film Presto in 2008.
• Ward contributed his expertise on “all things Cars” as a key consultant in the creation and production of Cars Land at Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California, and served as the Creative Director for Pixar’s feature film, Cars 3 (2017) in addition to the Disney+ series, Cars on the Road (2022). 
• He continues to contribute his artistic passion to everything within the franchise, such as co-designing the Porsche and Pixar Animation Studios “911 Sally Special,” a bespoke vehicle in conjunction with Porsche which was auctioned for charity for a record-setting $3.6 million.
• Over the past few years, Ward’s current role has expanded to encompass creative oversight of the entire slate of Pixar legacy films, helping create award-winning global franchise projects like Pixar In Real Life, Pixar Putt, the Mundo Pixar experience, and Toy Story Funday Football on ESPN and Disney +, which garnered multiple Sports EMMY Awards.
• Tickets are now available at the official site for the Walt Disney Family Museum, at $25 for members, and $45 for non-members. $40 for seniors and students (with ID), and $35 for youths. Children ages 5 and under are free, registration is required.
• The special presentation will take place on Saturday, July 1, at 1:00 PM.