"Once Upon A Time: Contemporary Art for Children's Books"
2000-12-08 until 2001-02-18
Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art
Cleveland, OH, USA United States of America

This winter the Center invites you to take a break from the holiday rush and read a great story or two. Nursery rhymes acted out by costumed Weimaraners; spooky photographs from a Grimms fairytale; Keith Harings playful images about growing up; and paintings that tell the story of an African-American fairy princess make up Once Upon a Time: Contemporary Art for Childrens Books.

Featuring original artwork created by popular contemporary artists Keith Haring, Faith Ringgold, Cindy Sherman and William Wegman to illustrate childrens books, this exhibition presents the unique perspectives that their artistic styles bring to each rhyme, fairytale, fable and myth they tackle. Families will love this show, which features special labels written for kids and a fun reading area. Once Upon a Time is particularly appealing because it combines family-friendly content with a child-centered environment. This provides an opportunity for children to explore the work of contemporary artists and to develop language to talk about what they see.

The entire gallery is designed with young art enthusiasts in mind: brightly colored walls adorned with excerpts from the books, definitions of common visual art terms and comfortable reading areas with a variety of childhood stories to read. Childrens books have long been sites for magical and remarkable original illustration, engaging the imaginations of parents and children alike.

Once Upon a Time features more than 25 original works from four childrens books including Cindy Shermans Fitchers Bird, Faith Ringgolds The Invisible Princess, Keith Harings I wish I didnt have to sleep! and William Wegmans Mother Goose.

Related Links:

Indepth Arts Resources for the State of Ohio

Other Important Exhibitions in Cleveland