Exhibits

“Black White Grey” Reception

Join the Worlds of Words Center to experience the power of “Black White Grey,” an exhibit on loan from the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany. Come for a guided tour and stay to enjoy light refreshments and participate in a public art project!

Two women study a puzzle in a corner of a room filled with black and white illustrations

Students from the Indigenous Teacher Education Program (ITEP) visiting the Worlds of Words Center complete a double-sided puzzle that is part of the ‘Black White Grey’ exhibit from the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany.

For the reception, the center will open our special collections to look at original illustrations and sketches we pulled from our archives to complement the new exhibit. Additionally, we have seven original illustrations from Moon Song by Ron Himler on display. These striking watercolor and gouache pieces are part of a recent donation by the artist of more than 400 illustrations.

The reception is free and open to the public. Please RSVP.

The “Black White Grey” reception is part of the College of Education Homecoming activities. We hope you can make all of them!

Ticketed parking is available in the Second St. Garage and metered parking is available on the street/surface level through the Passport Mobile Parking app. Worlds of Words Center is also located just off of the 2nd St. Modern Streetcar stop.

To request disability-related accommodations that would ensure your full participation in this event, please email wow@arizona.edu or call 520.621.9340.

Event details may change. More information to follow.

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Black, White and Gray Pop in New Worlds of Words Center Exhibit

Contact Rebecca Ballenger, Associate Director, Worlds of Words Center

When the average person thinks about picturebooks, black and white illustrations seldom come to mind. But they do exist. “Black White Grey,” a traveling exhibit from the International Youth Library (IYL) in Munich, Germany is on view for the first time in the U.S. in the Worlds of Words Center in the University of Arizona College of Education. The exhibit shows how illustrators use the expressive power of lines, shapes, contours and contrasts to create captivating pictures with a unique aesthetic and atmospheric mood.

A young boy holds a hanging sign from the Black White Grey Exhibit that depicts a tiger with a sloth in its mouth.

Oliver (age 6) inspects a hanging medallion that depicts a detail from an illustration in Tierenduin by Dutch author and illustrator, Geert Vervaeke, as part of the ‘Black White Grey’ exhibit on loan from the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany and on display in the Worlds of Words Center.

“Using only black, white and gray in illustrations can be surprisingly evocative, stripping away the distraction of color to reveal a depth and nuance that resonates on a profoundly emotional level. These monochromatic palettes invite readers to engage with the essence of the story in a raw and powerful way, proving that sometimes the simplest choices can yield the most profound impact,” says Kathy Short, director of Worlds of Words and Regents Professor. Continue reading →

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Worlds of Words Center Expands Holdings of Original Picturebook Illustrations

by Rebecca Ballenger, Associate Director of Worlds of Words Center

The Worlds of Words Center adds original illustrations from 55 picturebooks to its holdings as a result of a recent crowdfunding campaign and donations of art by Mary J. Wong. The new pieces are from classic, award-winning, and global children’s literature and include works by illustrators visiting for the Tucson Festival of Books. A selection of the new acquisitions will be on display leading up to the book festival and for UArizona Museum Day at Worlds of Words in the University of Arizona College of Education.

Two women looking at framed art on table easels

Project FOCUS student Daniela Garcia (first-year) and Elementary Education major Lily Volmer (sophomore) compare an original illustration by Jason Chin to its final version. Chin’s work for Watercress earned the 2022 Caldecott Medal.

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The Colourful World Beyond the Seven Hills

By Rebecca Ballenger, Associate Director, Worlds of Words Center

The Grimm Brothers’ collection “Children’s and Household Tales” inspired visual images in illustrations that left their indelible mark on the memory of successive generations. For the first time in the U.S., the traveling exhibition “The Colourful World Beyond the Seven Hills” invites people to experience or re-experience this tradition of folktale illustration from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Posters of illustrations from the book collections of the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany, are now available for viewing in the Worlds of Words Center of Global Literacies and Literatures of the UArizona College of Education.

Three young people look at a set of cards marked character, setting, plot and resolution one young person in background looking at illustrations

Middle School Reading Ambassadors work through a mixed-up Grimm Brother’s storytelling activity that Worlds of Words offers alongside the The Colourful World Beyond the Seven Hills exhibit on loan from the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany.

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Crowdfund Update: With Gratitude

By Rebecca Ballenger, Associate Director, Worlds of Words Center

We keep all the thank you letters we receive from our K-12 visitors. They often share their favorite part of their Worlds of Words Center field trip in these letters. We love these notes! It’s fun to read their thoughts around the exhibits they experience. They almost always mention books, and sometimes we get the best portraits of our staff. The gratitude expressed in these letters has a huge impact on our team.

Handwritten thank you letter Continue reading →

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Worlds of Words Center Launches First Crowdfund Effort to Bring Global Stories to Life

By Rebecca Ballenger, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

The Worlds of Words Center of Global Literacies and Literatures in the University of Arizona College of Education announces the launch of its first ever crowdfunding campaign on October 2. The campaign aims to raise $10,000 to fund a year of exhibits that will spark the imaginations of visitors to the center.

Young teens reading and discussing the books and posters on display.

Students from Paulo Freire Freedom School explore the exhibit, Around the World in 70 Maps.

“We are excited to launch our first crowdfunding campaign,” says UArizona Regents Professor and director of the WOW Center, Kathy Short. “This is a great opportunity to support our mission of sharing global stories. With help from the community, we can continue to provide enriching exhibits that inspire people of all ages.” Continue reading →

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Arizona Is a Story

By Rebecca Ballenger, Associate Director, Worlds of Words Center

The rich and diverse stories of Arizona are on display in an original new exhibit of art, maps and books that showcase the history and perspectives of the state, highlighting this beautiful and complex place. For a limited time, the public can visit “Arizona Is a Story” at the Worlds of Words Center of Global Literacies and Literatures (WOW Center) in the UArizona College of Education.

Two people compare a book illustration to the final printed book

Rylan Pugliese (UArizona East Asian Studies graduate student) confers with Aika Adamson (WOW Staff) about the book, Confetti Poems.

Continue reading →