Fenimore Art Museum looks at 25 years of ‘Arthur’

By PATRICK DEWEY• Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

Television shows, books and the artwork in them have the power to teach life lessons and transport viewers back in time. This is the case with the children’s TV show and book series “Arthur,” about a talking aardvark, his sister, D.W., and his classmates.

The Fenimore Art Museum is marking the 25th anniversary of “Arthur,” a cartoon TV show, with the exhibit “Believe in Yourself: What We Learned from Arthur,”

The exhibit opened Saturday, Aug. 7, and is on display through Dec. 31.

The Fenimore worked directly with author and series creator Marc Brown on all aspects of the exhibit, according to museum officials.

Director of Exhibitions at the Fenimore Chris Rossi said the exhibit will give insight into Brown’s creative process through illustrations and sketches.

Rossi said visitors should come ready to interact. There will be opportunities to hear recordings of Brown guiding visitors through his work and reading from his stories. In addition, fans will be able to create their own art.

Rossi said this exhibit is not just for kids.

“There are so many positive messages in the series and I think everyone who visits will find something helpful and uplifting,” she said.

The exhibit will also feature a sneak peek at “Believe in Yourself,” a book by Brown slated for release in 2022 about life lessons from Arthur.

According to the PBS website, the first Arthur book was published in 1976. According to NPR.org, the show first aired in 1996.

NPR recently announced the television show will be retiring, with the final season airing in winter of 2022. Rossi said the “Believe in Yourself” exhibit had been in planning with Brown for the past few years and the timing of Arthur’s Fenimore appearance had more to do with the 25th anniversary than the show’s retirement.

“Working on this exhibit is bringing back fond memories of how important Arthur was to us and our children,” Rossi said.

There will be a range of on-site and virtual activities scheduled during this exhibit’s stay. These will include art projects and a children’s reading event by Brown.

“Exhibits like these foster a great deal of joy, nostalgia, and creativity in visitors,” said Kevin Gray, manager of arts education.

Go to fenimoreartmuseum.org for more information.