A lazy Saturday not long ago, my friends and I ventured over to the Eric Carle Museum at Hampshire College in South Amherst. Essentially, the Museum houses the work of artists who illustrate the beloved books of our childhoods. Eric Carle, the museum’s namesake and founder illustrated (most famously) the The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See. As I learned while at the museum, Carle created his unique images by collaging tissue papers he textured and colored with paint. Displays of his work and process speckled the the minimalist museum. The wide open geometric interior spaces and outdoor gravel gardens had a calming effect and despite the fact that this is touted as a museum for families, it was as eerily quiet as any other museum.

After walking in to the museum’s lobby my friends and I were directed to 3 main gallery spaces. These rooms are mainly filled with prints, paintings, collages and drawings from a collection entitled Selections from the Art of Eric Carle: Bears and Beyond  as well as from Toot and Re-Toot: The Return of Hardie Gramatky’s Little Toot. I mainly gravitated toward the exhibition on Eric Carle’s work since I’d scarcely ever heard of Little Toot. It was nice to see his original “sketches” and how his unique creative process was invented. There were several displays for kids showing his process and the different stages one of his collages goes through as well as how many versions one character undergoes. Interestingly, the exhibit featured some of Eric Carle’s most recent art that was not used to illustrate any book. He created miniature sculptures and collages out of the materials he uses in his studio. There were abstract shapes made out of cardboard onto which he blotted paint while processing his familiar tissue paper, there were brushes crusted with paint arranged in artful patterns and used palettes still laden with thick paint from past projects. These utilitarian objects were transformed into artful compositions in Carle’s hands. These works introduced an interesting question that had been running through my mind while perusing the exhibition: Could these objects be considered art? Perhaps I was at first constrained by some elitist notion of high art,  but could these images (both Eric Carle’s newer work and his illustrations for picture books) which are highly reproducible and traditionally only appreciated by the under 10 crowd be seen as art? Well, it seems putting them in a museum designated them as such, and I have to admit that after gleaning some insight into the process of their creation there was definitely art at work.

There were two other surprises yet to come while on this adventure. The next gallery space was devoted to Seeking a State of Grace: The Art of Arnold Lobel. If the name doesn’t ring a bell perhaps The Adventures of Frog and Toad might. This series of books featuring a frog and toad that bake cookies, garden and swim all while wearing trousers and vests was my absolute favorite as a child. Forget the under 10 crowd, as soon as I saw the original drawings and paintings for these books, I’d fallen again for these slimy creatures. If I’d had any doubt about whether children’s books were indeed a medium for art, Lobel’s work dispelled them. It seems Lobels stories and illustrations also caught the eye of Broadway; I learned that A Year with Frog and Toad was adapted as a musical and went on to win three Tony Awards. I’m not sure I can see this transition going very smoothly as I’m so attached to Lobel’s particular two dimensional world, but I think it’s a testament to the stories’ success that they were adapted for the stage. It’s not fair to say that this portion of the museum would be everyone else’s favorite as well, since it’s clear Lobel’s stories of flying kites, cleaning house and having friends (apparently inspired by summers on Cape Cod) were a distinct part of my childhood but if you haven’t yet discovered Frog and Toad, it’s never too late. The galleries’ benches have baskets of Lobel’s book in case you missed out as a kid. I re-read these familiar stories and realized that if the purpose of art is to have an affect on someone, of any kind, then Lobel succeeded; memories of reading voraciously as a child came back vividly to me, the words and images had not lost their resonance.

After visiting the library of children’s books we went to the art room, where everyday a creative activity is planned for museum visitors. On the day I visited, my friends and I were able to paint with watercolors in a well lit room with low tables alongside kids and adults alike. I could see how the experience of practicing art acted as a foil to the hour or so spent looking at art; this seemed to me to be a highly effective aspect of the museum. So, if you’re looking for a place to take a date, eat lunch, or spend a few hours off the Amherst Campus, I’d recommend the Eric Carle Museum for anyone interested in art, comics, children’s books or just nice ambience. Though there was truly limited gallery space, the offerings were the best of their kind. Not to mention the gift shop alone is a great place to pick up knick knacks or to reminisce and buy books you once loved. Happy Museum Going!

For more information check out the museum’s website here:http://www.picturebookart.org/ 

The Museum’s Hours are:10 am – 4 pm Tuesday through Friday 10 am – 5 pm Saturday 12 – 5 pm Sunday  and admission is $5 with a student ID.