FREE TO BE...YOU AND ME Exhibition to Open at the Eric Carle Museum

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art will present the first exhibition about the transformative power of Free to Be…You and Me, a cultural force that inspired generations of children and families. Free to Be...You and Me: 50 Years of Stories and Songs, on view at The Carle from November 16, 2024 through April 6, 2025, explores the profound societal impact and enduring legacy of the groundbreaking 1972 record and 1974 book, as well as the multifaceted project's evolution through subsequent picture books and TV specials.

Organized by guest curator Margi Hofer, the exhibition celebrates actress Marlo Thomas's radical project on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the 1974 book. Among the approximately 60 objects on view are original artworks, first edition books, the classic album cover, period photographs, audio recordings, and related ephemera. 

“We are so excited to showcase the first-ever exhibition featuring the art of Free to Be...You and Me,” said The Carle's executive director Jennifer Schantz. “The messages conveyed in the art, music, and project remain as relevant today as they were 50 years ago. No one has the right to tell you who to be. You can decide for yourself.”

The exhibition features 26 original artworks by 15 artists across all three books, including original art from the 1974 publication by Bascove and Arnold Lobel; original illustrations from Free to Be…A Family (1987) by Leo and Diane Dillon, Susan Jeffers, Jerry Pinkney, and John Steptoe; and art from the 35th anniversary book by Tony DiTerlizzi, Leuyen Pham, and Peter Reynolds.

“Just as Free to Be…You and Me encouraged kids to express their true selves, its books celebrated individuality by presenting an incredible variety of illustrations,” said curator Margi Hofer. “The uplifting artworks in the exhibition range from the charming pencil drawings of Arnold Lobel and soulful watercolors of Jerry Pinkney to the whimsical illustrations of Peter Reynolds. We're delighted to reunite and showcase these works for the first time.”

Exhibition Highlights

Free to Be...You and Me: 50 Years of Stories and Songs opens with the cultural context of the early 1970s, when Marlo Thomas was dismayed to discover that many books available for her young niece reinforced sexist gender stereotypes. On view is one such book, I'm Glad I'm a Boy! I'm Glad I'm a Girl! (1970) by Whitney Darrow, Jr., which presented strict binaries such as “Boys can eat. Girls can cook.” Determined to create a record album that would inspire girls and boys to become their best selves, Thomas enlisted the help of feminist friends including Gloria Steinem and Letty Cottin Pogrebin at Ms. magazine.

The first non-sexist record for kids, Free to Be…You and Me revolutionized children's entertainment. With its iconic bright pink cover, the album featured catchy songs and amusing stories performed by Thomas and her celebrity friends that invited kids into a world free of gender and racial stereotypes and encouraged them to embrace their individuality and celebrate diversity. Visitors to the exhibition are invited to listen to songs from the 1972 album, including the title track as well as “When We Grow Up” and “It's All Right to Cry.”

Building upon the record's runaway success, the bestselling 1974 book featured stories, poems, and songs illustrated by leading children's book artists. Original artworks on view from the book include Bascove's bold woodcut for the story of Atalanta, a feminist retelling of a Greek myth that celebrates female athleticism, intellectual curiosity, and independence; and Arnold Lobel's pencil drawing for Dudley Pippin and the Principal, about a frustrated boy who is encouraged by a kindly school principal to express his emotions.

Visitors can enjoy highlights from the 1974 ABC Television special, which encountered initial pushback. When Thomas screened the TV special for ABC network executives, one told her that the song “William's Doll” – in which a boy yearns for a doll to love and care for – would “turn every boy in America into a sissy.” The exhibition features vivid animation cels exhibited for the first time, including examples from “William's Doll” and “Ladies First,” an adaptation of Shel Silverstein's cautionary tale that challenges outmoded ideals of femininity.

A decade after the publication of Free to Be…You and Me, its creators began planning a sequel that would challenge preconceived notions of family. Free to Be…A Family was published in 1987, and an album and TV special debuted the following year. On view in the exhibition is a project planning document from 1984, heavily annotated by Letty Cottin Pogrebin, which offers a window into the team's brainstorming session. Artworks include from the sequel include an original watercolor illustration by Jerry Pinkney for Lucille Clifton's poem We and They, imagining a world of unity and cooperation, with children under a hopeful rainbow.

In 2008, Marlo Thomas and her collaborators released a 35th anniversary edition of the book with all new illustrations for the next generation of children. The exhibition features Joe Mathieu's artwork for “Boy Meets Girl” and Leuyen Pham's illustrations for “William's Doll,” showing William being taunted by his peers as he hugs his baby doll. The exhibition concludes with a consideration of Free to Be's impact and legacy. Fan letters written to Marlo Thomas vividly attest to the powerful influence it had on children across the country. A newly commissioned illustration by non-binary artist Audrey Helen Weber reflects on Free to Be's legacy and the idea of gender presentation and “choice.”

Scholars Advisory Council

The Carle is grateful to the following scholars for their guidance 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); and Karen Sanchez-Eppler, Professor of American Studies, Education Studies and English, Amherst College.

Programming

The Carle will host related public programs, including Free to Be...You and Me Sing-along Spectacular events on November 30 at 11:30 am and April 6 at 1 pm; and curator tours with Margi Hofer on November 16 at 11 am and 1 pm. More details are available at https://carlemuseum.org/visit/events.