Hopes and dreams shape your life – and they can change the world. Just think of those four famous words, "I have a dream..."
You're never too young or too old to dream. From the personal wishes we make on the night stars to the people and discoveries that have changed the way we live, the Dream Exhibit celebrates the power of dreams, and the power of story and art to inspire us to achieve those dreams.
The Dream Exhibit launched at the McMichael Gallery in Toronto, travelled across Canada and the US, and now lives at The Cedars in Toronto.
An engaging and unique exhibit, the Dream Exhibit presents a range of artistic styles and mediums – from watercolor, oil, and chalk pastel to collage, digital, and 3-D plasticine. And, all the pieces work together to tell a story that speaks to all ages, no matter where you are in the story of your own life.
The Dream Exhibit is based on the award-winning bestseller Dream: A Tale of Wonder, Wisdom & Wishes by
This is about the story of a life in the context of lives/life on the planet in the even bigger context of lifetimes across generations – created as a kind of passport for the Legacy Project's 7-Generation GTB work.
Says The Bloomsbury Review, "This elegant book depicts the journey of life – from infancy to older adulthood – highlighting all the hopes and dreams found along the way... Inspirational quotes from people such as Martin Luther King Jr, Sir Edmund Hillary, and Emily Dickinson are set alongside gorgeous illustrations by internationally acclaimed artists. Richly crafted and thoughtfully written, Dream is a dazzling project that challenges us to find a dream and follow it."
Dream has won a remarkable 11 national awards, including an International Reading Association Children's Choice, a Teachers' Choice, an iParenting Award, the Pinnacle Award as Best Gift Book, and Visionary Award.
The Dream Exhibit brings together original works by 15 top illustrators from five countries – winners of the Academy Award, Hans Christian Andersen Medal, Society of Illustrators Gold Medal, Bologna Ragazzi Award, Governor General's Medal, and Caldecott Medal.
Find out more about each artist:
Wayne Anderson
James Bennett
Christian Birmingham
Mike Carter
Raúl Colón
Leo and Diane Dillon
Zhong-Yang Huang
Robert Ingpen
Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
Michèle Lemieux
Barbara Reid
Shaun Tan
Bruce Wood
In addition to the artwork, the exhibit features concept drafts for the art that give visitors a peek into the creative process, and the handcrafted Dream Chest, a time portal.
The handcrafted wooden Dream Chest has a story all its own. The Dream book begins as a traveler discovers the chest at the end of a rainbow. Thousands and thousands of years ago an ancient people carefully crafted the Dream Chest. One night, they set it on the top of a mountain. They called to the universe. A shooting star flashed across the dark sky. It swirled down to earth, circled around the chest, then burst into the chest through the seven-pointed carved star on its scooped lid. The Dream Chest became a time portal. It is a portal between reality and dreams, between what has been, what is, and what can be. The Dream Chest is a symbol of the bigger story of which our life story is only a part. It also symbolizes your power to send a message into the future through your own legacy.
"There's a real power in the combination of words and art to engage people and get them asking the kinds of rich questions that help them grow," says Dream author and educator Susan V. Bosak. "This is about encouraging young people to read – to understand both words and images – and encouraging them to think bigger and longer-term, to dream and set goals to make a difference in their own lives, in their community, and in the world. It also reminds adults not to let go of their dreams."
After visiting the Dream Exhibit, free online LifeDreams activities offer parents and teachers more ideas for encouraging young people to dream.
For more information about arranging a visit to the Dream Exhibit at The Cedars in Toronto,