Apply by January 24 to host one of three traveling exhibitions celebrating great Jewish artists

Public, academic and special libraries, including museum libraries, and Jewish community centers are reminded to apply by January 24 to host one of three new traveling exhibits focusing on Jewish artists who have contributed to the culture of America and the world through their lives and work. More information about the exhibitions, including the online application, is available at www.ala.org/jewishartists. The exhibits were developed by Nextbook, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Jewish literature, culture and ideas, and the ALA Public Programs Office, with funding from Nextbook. The national exhibit tours have been made possible by grants from the Charles H. Revson Foundation, the David Berg Foundation and the Nash Family Foundation, with additional support from Tablet Magazine: A New Read on Jewish Life. Libraries are invited to apply to host a traveling exhibition on one of three subjects: 1. In a Nutshell: The Worlds of Maurice Sendak Based on a major retrospective exhibition created by the Rosenbach Museum & Library, Philadelphia, this exhibit reveals the push and pull of New and Old Worlds in Sendak’s work and shows how Sendak’s artistic journey has led him deeper into his own family’s history and his Jewish identity. 2. Emma Lazarus: Voice of Liberty, Voice of Conscience In this exhibit, a vital woman is brought to life in all her fascinating complexity. Viewers see Lazarus’s place in history as a poet, an activist and a prophet of the world we live in today. The exhibit traces her life, intellectual development, work and lasting influence. 3. A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs, 1910-1965 Illustrated with colorful posters from Broadway shows and photographs of composers, singers and the casts of hit musicals and films, this exhibit highlights the lives and works of Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Jerome Kern and a host of other Jewish songwriters who wove the American songbook deep into the fabric of American culture. Successful applicants will host one traveling exhibition for a six-week period between April 2011 and February 2012 and receive programming and technical support from the ALA Public Programs Office. Participating libraries are expected to present at least two free public programs for adults on themes related to the exhibitions. All showings of the exhibition must be free and open to the public. Each of the exhibits requires at least 200 square feet of display space. More information about the exhibitions, including guidelines and the online application, is available at www.ala.org/jewishartists. With questions, contact the ALA Public Programs Office at publicprograms@ala.org.