Free to Be. . . You and Me: 50 Years of Stories and Songs

Free to Be…You and Me: 50 Years of Stories and Songs celebrates the profound societal impact and continued positivity of the groundbreaking 1972 record and its subsequent picture books and TV specials. The exhibition features the only known extant art from the 1974 publication, by Barbara Bascove, along with original illustrations by John Steptoe, Susan Jeffers, Jerry Pinkney, and Leo and Diane Dillon from Free to Be…A Family, published in 1987. The exhibition will also display art from the 35^th anniversary edition, including pieces by Peter Reynolds, Tony DiTerlizzi, LeUyen Pham, and Peter Sís.  

Curated by Margi Hofer.

What to Expect

The exhibition will showcase approximately 50 works, including first edition books, the classic album cover, period photographs, audio recordings, newspaper articles, and other ephemera. 

Scholars Advisory Council

We are grateful to the following scholars for their support in developing this exhibition:

• Rachel Conrad, Professor of Childhood Studies, Hampshire College  
• Laura LeeAnn Lovett, Professor of History, University of Pittsburgh and co-author of When We Were Free to Be: Looking Back at a Children’s Classic and the Difference It Made, University of North Carolina Press, 2012. 
• Lori Rotskoff, cultural historian, educator and co-author of When We Were Free to Be: Looking Back at a Children’s Classic and the Difference It Made, University of North Carolina Press, 2012. 
• Karen Sanchez-Eppler, Professor of American Studies, Education Studies and English, Amherst College