Picture Our Journey

• on view:
• Picture Our Journey
• ARRIVALS
• The Rothko Room
• Crossing the Border: Beneath the Blue Sky
• Border Fandango

ARRIVALS, on view in the Museum's main galleries, traces a series of arrival moments to show how artists have explored myths and narratives around what it means to be American. In conjunction with this exhibition, the Learning Center features original children’s picture book art that shares personal yet universal stories of immigration. Through illustrations and words, these stories give voice to topics such as the struggle to belong in one’s new home, the pain of separation, and the ties that bind immigrants to their country and culture of origin. In a country filled with families that trace their roots back to other homelands, these stories have resonated throughout American history and have shaped the vibrant fabric of our inclusive nation. The selected books in Picture Our Journey highlight immigration stories from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East from the perspective of children and families. This interactive, family-friendly space is open to the public during regular KMA hours and will also include a library and bibliography of children’s books on the subject of immigration, hands-on art activities, and prompts for visitors to craft personal narratives.

The exhibition features artworks from eight poignant books that explore different topics related to immigration.

The struggle to belong in their new country is explored in:
Be Prepared, written and illustrated by Vera Brosgol, an autobiographical graphic novel about a Russian girl who desperately wants to fit in with her peers and discovers the value of true friendship.
Dreamers, written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales, a picture book memoir about coming to the U.S. with her infant son and finding her way in a new place, and navigating an unfamiliar world and finding the best parts of it.
My Name is Sangoel, written by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed and illustrated by Catherine Stock about a Sudanese boy who devises an ingenious solution to the problem that his new classmates can’t pronounce his name, and in the process he begins to feel at home. 

The pain of separation is the focus of:
Mama’s Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation, written by Edwidge Danticat and illustrated by Leslie Staub, about a young Haitian-American girl whose mother has been incarcerated as an illegal immigrant. The girl, Saya, finds a way to share her story in hopes of uniting her family again.

The ties that bind immigrants and their descendants to their country and culture of origin are personally described in
All the Way to America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel, written and illustrated by Dan Yaccarino, whose great-grandfather arrived at Ellis Island with a small shovel and his parents’ good advice: “Work hard, but remember to enjoy life, and never forget your family.”
My Chinatown: One Year in Poems, written and illustrated by Kam Mak, an homage to family, culture, and a childhood spent in one of the most striking places in any city—Chinatown.
The Keeping Quilt, written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco, who tells the story of her own family and a quilt that remains a symbol of their enduring love and faith.
Saffron Ice Cream, written and illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh about young Rashin who is excited about her first visit to the beach in her family's new home and remembers what beach trips were like in Iran.