NSU’s Library Hosts Series of FREE Events as Part of Tom Sawyer & Norman Rockwell Exhibit – Nov. 14 to Jan. 30

American Girls Tea Party, special storytimes and Mark Twain reenactors make history, art, and culture come to life.

FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center is hosting a new Norman Rockwell’s Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn exhibit in the Second Floor Gallery, on display Nov. 14 through Jan. 30.

The exhibit illustrates the connection between Mark Twain and Norman Rockwell, who in 1935 was invited by George Macy, publisher of the Heritage Press and Limited Editions Club books, to illustrate Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Rockwell visited Hannibal, Missouri, Twain’s boyhood town, to find authentic details to include in his work. Twain’s vivid descriptions of character, setting and mood were an inspiration to the illustrator, who considered each of the writer’s scenes to be “complete and perfect to the last detail.”

The Alvin Sherman Library has developed some outstanding adult and children’s programming to support the exhibit, including the library’s second annual American Girl Tea Party for ages 6 -12, made possible by a generous grant from the Charles P. Ferro Foundation. Upcoming exhibit-related events include:

• Miss Meagan’s Storytime Fun: Tomfoolery
  Wednesday, Nov. 18 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. – Ages 3-5 with caregiver
  Trouble & tomfoolery abound in this storytime! Get ready for our Norman Rockwell exhibit featuring illustrations from Tom Sawyer. Enjoy childhood classics and new favorites featuring stories about mischievous boys.

• Ferro Arts Series presents . . .
  American History Comes to Life!
  Sunday, Nov. 22 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. – Families and all ages
  Learn about life in the mid 19th century, and meet special costumed guests from the Gold Coast Re enactors.  See a real working telegraph, tools, clothing, and toys from the frontier period.  Help decorate Tom Sawyer’s white picket fence and illustrate your own adventures!

• Ferro Arts Series presents . . .
  Second Annual American Girl Tea Party with mid 19th Century Dolls, Addy and Kristen
  Sunday, Nov. 22 from 2-3 p.m. – Ages 6-12
  Enjoy old-fashioned treats and activities! Make paper dolls, play hopscotch, and sing patriotic songs. Make an African cowrie shell necklace like Addy’s and learn how to make a Swedish braid like Kirsten’s. After tea, we will explore boys’ life through Norman Rockwell’s illustrations of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Reserve your spot today by calling 954-262-5477. (Dolls are invited, too!)

• The Big Read: Tom Sawyer
  Sunday, Dec. 6 from 1-2 p.m. – Teens, students and adults
  Enter the powerful world of literature and participate in a community-wide discussion of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Supported by National Endowment for the Arts, The Big Read is an endeavor which encourages communities across the nation to read, discuss and celebrate American books and writers.

• Mark Twain: A Literary Autobiography by George Frein
  Wednesday, Dec. 9 from 2-3 p.m. – Teens, students and adults
  Come hear Mark Twain himself talk about his interesting life and the vivid characters he brought to life in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  Professional reenactor George Frein will portray Twain. For more information, please call 954-357-7386.
• History Comes Alive Online
  Saturday, Dec. 5 from 2-3 p.m. – Ages 9-12
  Last week you enjoyed old-fashioned treats and activities; let’s continue the fun by exploring the past online. We’ll look at old pictures to see what people did and wore, play games based on the American Girl and Tom Sawyer characters, and more!

All events will be held in the Alvin Sherman Library on NSU’s main campus, 3301 College Ave. in Davie. For more information, please call 954-262-5477 or visit www.nova.edu/library/main.

This new gallery show coincides with the larger exhibition “American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell” at the Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale, a division of NSU, which will be on display now through February. For more information, please visit www.moaflnsu.org.

Media Contact:
Andra Liwag, NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5309 office, 954-873-8494 cell, andrali@nova.edu