Photography Note: Photos for this post were provided by R.W. Norton Art Gallery, thanks to Emily Young Feazel.
For a new exhibit entitled Down the Rabbit Hole, the R.W. Norton Art Gallery in Shreveport has built a fun, educational showcase of materials documenting the cultural phenomenon that is Lewis Carroll’s book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The exhibit is on display now through Aug. 21, 2016. There’s a display of various editions of Carroll’s book, as well as a playroom area with a “tea service” for kids, children’s coloring activities and more. But the main attraction – and it really is something to see – is a gallery filled with 13 lithographs by surrealist artist Salvador Dalí, from his 1969 edition of Alice in Wonderland. It does not get a whole lot more psychedelic than Dalí illustrating Alice in 1969. It’s far out.
“We’ve had this incredible book for years, and we’ve only shown it once before, in the library,” said Emily Young Feazel, creative and visual arts director for the R.W. Norton Art Gallery. “The Dalí was the main reason for this exhibit, but we also just wanted to do something less academic and more kid-friendly for the summer. It’s been so much fun.”
You can see this rare collection of prints online, but seeing them in-person will delight art lovers. Illustrations like Mad Tea Party are explosions of color in which Dalí’s particular brand of artistic madness perfectly complements the story of Alice in Wonderland. If you’ve got time, you can read interpretive panels created to contextualize the work and outline the lives of Carroll, Dalí and the real-life Alice. There’s even a pop-up gift shop featuring books, prints, tea sets and more. Whether you’ve got a young reader who loves Alice or you’re a fan of surrealist art, the exhibit is absolutely worth a visit.
Visit the R.W. Norton Art Gallery website for more information, including hours of operation, or like the gallery on Facebook.
If you’re planning a visit to Shreveport-Bossier, download the official 2016 Visitors’ Guide to Shreveport-Bossier for useful info on things to see and do, restaurants, hotels and more.
