Closing Banned Books Week
Vernica and I have been planning to visit the Beatrix Potter exhibit at the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst, Massachusetts. Our trip happened to coincide with the end of Banned Books Week. A coworker remarked to me that visiting exhibits celebrating children’s book art is a quite appropriate ending to the week because it’s difficult to imagine the works in the museum being challenged.
I can’t remember how old I was when one of my parents first read a Beatrix Potter book to me. I’m still taken by her stories and art. It seems like Peter Rabbit has always been a part of my life, as have a few stuffed Beatrix Potter characters. Some of the other stuffed animals have names from her work, too. A boxed set of some of her books is part of my personal library. When I learned about the exhibit, which was probably from Vernica’s post, I knew I had to go. I’m really glad things worked out so Vernica and I could go together because her appreciation and admiration of children’s book art added much to the day.
The exhibit is worth seeing because it brings together mostly unpublished work of hers from at least two archives and several private collections. It includes illustrated letters, nature studies, watercolors, photographs, and other pieces that probably aren’t well known. Photographs of the exhibit weren’t permitted, so I only have my memory to remind me of her amazing studies of the owl, beetle, fungi, and spider–though a small image of the spider is in a catalog I bought. (Her beetle study, which reminded me of a larger work I think I saw at the Getty Museum, amazed me. It’s an enlarged work with incredible detail.) I regretted not remembering the handiness of a magnifying glass at another exhibit of drawings I went to recently. If I return to the Beatrix Potter show, I’ll try to remember to get one.
I don’t mean to downplay Eric Carle or Ashley Bryan’s art by focusing on Beatrix Potter here. Kid’s books are quite tangential to this blog and I’m not sure how much I want to write about the entire museum. It’s worth visiting. Looking at Carle’s original work in the museum is so much different than seeing it on paper. Many of his pieces involve colored or painted tissue paper layered onto other paper or paint or something. Being able to see it in three dimensions is great. A display explains his technique.
The exhibit of Ashley Bryan’s art provides a nice contrast to Potter and Carle. It includes bold colors and sculptures.
Three things that really impressed me about the museum is that they have books in the exhibit halls of the works on display for people who want to read the story, there’s an art room, and the gift shop has one of the best collections of children’s books for sale I have seen. Somehow, Vernica and I managed to leave without buying any of the kid’s books.
Yeah, go, if you can. Bryan’s work is up until November 6 and Potter’s is on display until December 4. Besides Western Massachusetts, especially in the fall, is absolutely gorgeous.
Now I’ve got to figure out what to do with half a bushel of apples and pears … The first apple cake should be cool enough to eat by now.
“No matter who you are, no matter where you live, and no matter how many people are chasing you, what you don’t read is often as important as what you do read.”
–Lemony Snicket
(I wonder how many hits I’m going to get from people searching for another famous Potter from this post …)
Addendum: The cake is fabulous! I’m glad I tried the recipe.
