Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival comes to Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine
The 3rd annual Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival was held on 9/17/22 and 9/18/22 in locations across Maine. In-person for the first time, The Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival celebrates Black and Black Immigrant children’s books and their creators with an annual 4,000+ book giveaway to Maine families, the production of acclaimed media and activities, and live events. The festival honors the legacy of legendary Black children’s book creator and artist Ashley Bryan and is named after his classic picture book Beautiful Blackbird.
In partnership with Indigo Arts Alliance, the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine hosted Read Alouds, videos, and art activities from 9:30 am to 3 pm throughout the Museum & Theatre with support from community leaders, artists, authors, and illustrators. Readers included Pious Ali, Namina Conteh, Evadne Bryan-Perkins, and Atiim Chenzira. Artists included Ebeneezer Akakpo and Daniel Minter.
Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival was founded in 2020 by Indigo Arts Alliance in partnership with I’m Your Neighbor Books and Diverse BookFinder and is produced with the 2022 partners: Children’s Museum & Theater of Maine, Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Ridah Ridah, the Farnsworth Museum, LA Arts, and the Lewiston Public Library.
Thank you to Marcia Minter, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Indigo Arts Alliance and Julie Butcher Pezzino, Executive Director, Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine for sharing more about the festival with News Center Maine.
