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OCTOBER 15, 2007 / Legacy Project / – The dreams and goals of Calgary's children will shape the future. Canadian author and educator Susan V. Bosak has a goal: she wants to encourage kids to read, to think, and to set goals to make a difference in their own life and in their community. A new exhibit and educational program launching at Glenbow Museum on October 28 is based on her award-winning bestseller Dream: A Tale of Wonder, Wisdom & Wishes. The Dream Exhibit features the original artwork created for the book by 15 top artists from five countries, along with interactive components that encourage both children and adults to discover the world around them and inside themselves.
How has the telephone, the rocket, or the computer changed the way we think and interact? If there is a Canadian dream, what is it? Why was Rachel Carson's book 'Silent Spring' named one of the most influential books of the past fifty years? And what do you do when a personal challenge seems so overwhelming you don't even want to get out of bed?
"There's a real power in the combination of words and art to engage children and adults and get them asking really rich questions," says Bosak. "From the personal wishes we make on the night stars to the people and inventions that have changed the way we live, the Dream Exhibit celebrates the power of dreams. It's also a way to bring all ages in the community together – because you're never too young or too old to dream."
Bosak spent five years working on the Dream book. It's a one-of-a-kind collaboration of 15 top children's illustrators including Governor General's Award winner Barbara Reid and two-time Caldecott Medal winners Leo and Diane Dillon. The book's eleven national awards include an International Reading Association Children's Choice, a Teachers' Choice, an iParenting Award, and a Canadian Children's Book Centre Starred Our Choice. Dream combines contemporary art with thought-provoking quotations from historical figures and a multilayered poetic story about hopes and dreams across a lifetime that inspires all ages.
The Dream Exhibit features a range of artistic styles and mediums – from watercolour, oil, and chalk pastel to collage, digital, and plasticine. All the pieces work together to tell a story. Interactive multimedia components bring the universal themes of hopes and dreams to life.
"Glenbow Museum is where people explore their past and their present and dream about their future," says Lisa Nowlin, Glenbow Museum's Manager of Programs. "Here at Glenbow, we hope all of the exhibits enrich our visitors' lives like the Dream Exhibit does. We want everyone's dreams to be as big as the prairie sky!"
The Dream Exhibit launches at Glenbow with a special family event on Sunday, October 28, 1:00 pm. Children and adults are invited to enjoy an interactive multimedia reading of Dream by Bosak along with inspiring musical selections performed by the award-winning Calgary choral group Vocal Ease from St. Mary's High School. After the program, enjoy refreshments, a book signing by Bosak, and family activities including learning how to fold origami Dream Stars and then placing them into the magical, handcrafted Dream Chest to make a wish.
Bosak will also be doing keynote addresses at the Alberta Early Childhood Education Conference and the Calgary City Teachers Convention.
The Dream Exhibit is presented by Glenbow Museum and the Legacy Project, a Canadian education initiative. The exhibit runs at Glenbow to July 6, 2008 and then travels across Canada and the US. For more about Dream by Susan V. Bosak (TCP Press, $23.95) and the Dream Exhibit, visit www.legacyproject.org.
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