For over 30 years, Wayne White has made an indelible mark on the creative world. As a designer, painter, puppeteer, sculptor, and musician, Mr. White has created images and ideas that are an integral – yet sometimes subconscious – part of the pop culture lexicon. From Pee-Wee’s Playhouse to Smashing Pumpkins, Wayne White’s prolific, iconic imagery is widely known, even if his name hasn’t always rung a bell with the public.

That is about to change.

Mr. White, who will be appearing live at this year’s TwentyWonder, is the subject of Beauty is Embarrassing, a new documentary by Neil Berkeley that recently premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival to rave reviews. Part biography, part live performance, “Beauty Is Embarrassing” tells the irreverent and inspiring story of this one-of-a-kind visual artist and raconteur. The film traces White’s career from an underground cartoonist in New York’s East Village to his big break as a designer, puppeteer and voice-over actor on Pee-wee’s Playhouse for which he won three Emmys. It follows Wayne’s success designing and animating for other children’s shows like Beakman’s World and music videos for TheSmashing Pumpkins (“Tonight, Tonight”) and Peter Gabriel (“Big Time”) through a dark period of struggle and self-reflection before emerging in his present-day incarnation as a respected painter and performer. At its core, Beauty Is Embarrassing shows what it takes for one uniquely talented, profanely hilarious, and utterly uncompromising artist to make it in America.

We are thrilled that Wayne White will be donating works and performing music at TwentyWonder 2012, the third annual fundraising event for the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles. For tickets and more info, please click here.

TwentyWonder — “A Carnival of the Mind”, is an annual fundraising event presented by Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles (DSALA). All proceeds benefit individuals born with Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) living in greater Los Angeles. Join the cause and DONATE via PayPal. Major credit cards accepted. Your transaction is safe, secure and only takes a minute.

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