Bullies, Scamps, and Whippersnappers: Childhood Mischief in American Art Lecture at Birmingham Museum of Art

Mark Twain’s characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn epitomize the idea of childhood mischief, with their roguish antics and penchant for troublemaking. Images of mischievous children abound in 19th-century American visual culture, from the fine arts to the popular press. Boettcher explores the subject of the “bad child” in American art and examines how such images played a role in cultivating and promoting new attitudes in child rearing.

This program is presented in conjunction with The Big Read: Alabama Reads, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest designed to revitalize the role of literature in American culture and bring the transformative power of literature into the lives of its citizens. The Big Read brings together partners across the country to encourage citizens to read for pleasure and enlightenment. (from Birmingham Museum of Art Website)

Details
Childhood Mischief in American Art
Graham Boettcher, PhD, The William C. Hulsey Curator of American Art
Sunday, March 7
2:00 p.m.
Birmingham Museum of Art auditorium
Free

For more information contact:
Birmingham Museum of Art Education Department
254-2571
education@artsbma.org