The South Euclid-Lyndhurst Branch of Cuyahoga County Public Library will soon be the next stop for the traveling panel exhibit Telling A People’s Story, the first major museum exhibition devoted to the art found within the pages of African American children’s picture books, as part of a collaboration between the library and Notre Dame College.
Both Cuyahoga County Public Library and Notre Dame College will be celebrating their 100th anniversaries this year.
The exhibition, curated by The Miami University Art Museum, supports the introduction of educational resources and programming that contextualizes these works of art within the history and cultural identity of African Americans in the United States. The panels are based on artwork by 33 artists from 95 books that span over 50 years.
Notre Dame’s Division of Professional Education brought the exhibition to the attention of Steven Haynie, South Euclid-Lyndhurst Branch manager.
“Following the initial introduction, teams from both organizations agreed to proceed with the project while developing additional activities around the exhibit. We are excited about the possibilities of collaborating with NDC on future projects,” Haynie said.
Students from the Children’s Literature and Literacy class, led by Sue Corbin, Ph.D., chair and professor of professional education at the College, will create a scavenger hunt for students to complete when touring the exhibit and audio recordings of several of the featured books.
Corbin hopes that area schools will plan field trips to the exhibit and that parents and caregivers will bring their children to the library for the experience.
“The exhibit is such an important one, now especially, given the censorship that is happening in schools of books by and about BIPOC people. Academic freedom is at stake, and we need to remind people with exhibits such as this one that everyone’s voice is important. Everyone’s voice needs to be heard,” she said.
Telling a People’s Story will be on view from March 9 through April 2, with plans for a virtual event led by local author Angela Johnson on Saturday, March 12 at 1:30 p.m.
Johnson is a poet and children’s author with more than forty books to her credit. She began her writing career with the publication of Tell Me a Story, Mama in 1989. She has won three Coretta Scott King Awards, The Michael Printz Award and The Margaret A. Edwards Award for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature and was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2003.
For more information, visit www.cuyahogalibrary.org/Branches/South-Euclid-Lyndhurst.aspx or register for the free author event here.
About Cuyahoga County Public Library
At Cuyahoga County Public Library we are committed to our mission to empower individuals and communities by providing opportunities for all to read, learn, create and connect. Visit us online at www.cuyahogalibrary.org.
February 2022
About Notre Dame College
Notre Dame College is a private, Catholic, liberal arts college in South Euclid, Ohio, committed to teaching students how to make a good living and live a good life. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1922, the College offers bachelor’s degrees in 30 disciplines plus a variety of master’s degrees, certification programs and continuing and professional development programs for adult learners on campus and online. For more information, visit NotreDameCollege.edu.