Duxbury Clipper - May 15, 2024
Following its widely successful opening reception earlier this month, the first local exhibit of original picture book art by Caldecott Honoree author/illustrator Brian Lies continues to draw visitors of all ages to Helen Bumpus Gallery (HBG), located on the main floor of Duxbury Free Library (DFL).
"A Community of Characters: Celebrating the Children’s Book Art of Brian Lies" marks the first time original art by Lies can be purchased by the public. The show runs through June 30, 2024.
To boost the artistic and cultural impact of “A Community of Characters” throughout the two-month run, HBG and DFL offer a medley of family-friendly activities that foster insight into Brian’s multi-species books where “everyone gets along.” These enrichment opportunities include an outdoor storybook walk, in-library scavenger hunt, and Lies-focused story hours, as well as educational handouts from Duxbury for All, which recently dubbed Brian Lies “an important voice for diversity, equity and inclusion.”
“To me, these creatures are our best selves,” Lies said of his animal characters. “Despite obvious differences, they all live together in peace, in communities that echo ours, but are oddly their own.”
Programs related to Helen Bumpus Gallery’s exhibit “A Community of Characters” are supported in part by a grant from Duxbury Cultural Council, a local agency, that is supported by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
