Current Exhibits

Pura Teresa Belpré made significant contributions to librarianship and children’s literature through her 40+ years of activism as a writer, scholar, and the first Black Puerto Rican librarian for the New York Public Libraries (NYPL). Belpré believed in the universality of childhood and dedicated herself to serving children from Puerto Rican and BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) communities. It is crucial to look at her legacy, as her activism is one that many can learn from and is still relevant to the present day. Curated by Katiana Bagué with assistance from Lourdes Santamaría-Wheeler &  Dr. Ramona Caponegro.

Since Lewis Carroll published Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in 1865 and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There in 1871, the story of Alice has been reimagined and retold in thousands of ways around the world. The many versions of Alice extend the legacy of Carroll’s Alice books while simultaneously telling their own stories. The different adaptations and reinventions of Alice reveal much about the tellers, as well as the cultures and times in which they live. How do you think members of the next generation will reimagine Wonderland? Curated by Dr. Ramona Caponegro.

Whether or not you have read Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland or Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, you have probably encountered Wonderland and some of its inhabitants. Carroll’s fantastic setting and eccentric characters have inspired hundreds of retellings and adaptations, many of which have been aimed at young readers. From their earliest encounters with books, readers can grow up with multiple visions of Wonderland. Curated by Dr. Ramona Caponegro.

Rice and beans is a dish with many names – peas and rice, moro y cristianos, congrí, arroz con gandules, gallo pinto, arroz con habichuelas, arroz y frijoles. This duo is not just hearty and nutritious, but full of stories that allow for making emotional connections. A small taste of this “comfort staple” allows us to connect with our upbringings and cultural identities, to find a sense of home and belonging no matter where we may be. Curated by Daniela Torres and Melissa Jerome.

Existence outside the gender binary is a theme weaved throughout feminist, Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC), and queer science fiction. These themes help audiences navigate through questions such as: What exactly is gender? What do technological futures look like when gender constructs, roles, and representations are thrown out? How does science fiction reconstruct and reframe how we understand identity? Curated by CJ Gott, Michelle Nolan, Barret Uhler, and Kestrel Ward.