Students and faculty can look forward to a new exhibit in the J. Houston Gordon Library, “Reading in Appalachia: Voices From Children’s Literature,” which will run through Nov. 22.
The exhibit, produced by the East Tennessee Historical Society in Knoxville, showcases scenes of folklore and everyday life in Appalachia captured through children’s stories.
The exhibit features hands-on activities and over-sized cutouts to entertain children, while there is plenty of information about authors and their works for interested adults.
“Because it’s about Appalachian children’s literature, when you look at a panel it’s more geared towards adults up top, and as you go down it becomes geared towards children,” Sam Richardson, museum curator and director of Special Collections and Archives, said.
The exhibit is based on the research of Jamie Osborn, manager of the Halls branch of the Knox County Public Library.
“Once the exhibit leaves here, it’s going in storage, so we’re the last to have it,” Richardson said.
The museum hosts new exhibits every spring and fall semester; spring semester’s exhibit will feature World War II Allied propaganda posters.
The exhibit is made possible through the support of the Jane L. Pettway Foundation, Clayton Homes, Friends of the Knox County Public Library and the UT’s Center for Children and Young Adult Literature.
The J. Houston Gordon Museum is open to the public from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.
The museum is located to the left of the help desk in the Paul Meek library in the special collections room.
For more information regarding the exhibit, contact the Paul Meek Library at 731-881-7464.
Cutouts and information panels in the exhibit | Photo Credit/ Evan Parkhill
