Telling a People's Story Exhibit

African American Children's Illustrated Literature

This exhibit from the Miami University Art Museum is devoted to the art found within the pages of African-American children's picture books.

The 12-panel exhibition takes viewers through a chronological journey of Black history, displaying illustrations and children’s books that are centered on everything from slavery to the Civil Rights era. Each panel represents a theme and displays artwork from the books. 

The exhibition features 33 artists and artwork from 90 books. A number of the children's books will be on display for you to page through and read and those from the library's collection will be on hand to check out. Viewers will be able to share part of their own story at the end of the exhibit.

The Miami University Art Museum curated the original exhibit in 2018. Thanks to a generous grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation in Cleveland, OH, the Miami University Art Museum offers this traveling version to share with schools, public libraries and other educational institutions.

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