Telling a People's Story: African-American Children's Illustrated Literature
April 3 - 30, 2023
The Fletcher Free Library is pleased to host the content of the original, groundbreaking 2018 exhibition, Telling A People’s Story: African-American Children’s Illustrated Literature. The Traveling Panel Exhibition, curated by Miami University Art Museum (Oxford, OH) and featuring 12 panels with 120 reproduced illustrations, will be on display in the Main Reading Room of the Main Library at 235 College Street from April 3-30, 2023.
For the first time, African-American children’s illustrated literature is the focus of a museum exhibition featuring art produced for book illustrations. The presentation of this genre offers a lens into the cultural, historical, and social makeup of African-American cultural identity, while also shedding light on the long-neglected world of African-American authors and illustrators in the pantheon of children’s literature.
Until the 1960s, and mostly the 1970s, African-American children rarely saw themselves depicted in children’s books from the perspective of African-American authors and illustrators. Telling A People’s Story is a celebration of the power of illustrated children’s books that showcases their story.
Click here to schedule tours for school groups
Associated Programming
Educators, families, and students ages 10+ are invited to join featured TaPS artists for two evening events:
April 4, 6:00 PM Exhibit Opening Reception with featured artist Ekua Holmes Main Reading Room
April 12, 6:30 PM "Step Into the Studio" talk with featured artist James Ransome Main Reading Room
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Featured artists Ekua Holmes and James Ransome will also be presenting to Burlington students on April 5th and April 13th
April 23, starting at 11:00 AM: Three films about Black artists: Black Is the Color, Black Art: In the Absence of Light, and I Know a Man ... Ashley Bryan. Pickering Room
April 23, 2:00PM: The Power of Telling A People's Story
Books by TaPS illustrators on display through April 30:
- "Playtime for Restless Rascals" Story Experience (Main Reading Room windows)
- "Black is a Rainbow Color" StoryWalk (BTV StoryWalk at Leddy Park)
Thank You to Our Sponsors:
Organized by the Miami University Art Museum through a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation
Children's Literacy Foundation (CLiF)
Vermont Humanities Council
Burlington Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee (REIB)
Hotel Vermont