I ventured out to the Albert Wisner Public Library in Warwick, NY for their Anne Frank Exhibit. Upon entering the library, I immediately was taken in by a life-size wall which was designed to look like the one in Anne’s room. The bright colors and top notch graphic design help make the difficult topic approachable.
It was quite evident that the target audience was families and kids. The exhibit’s star is a long timeline with a comparison of what happened in the Frank household and the war at large. The wall was both informative and interesting with an entire side which focused on Anne’s writing and reading habits.
The entire exhibit was engaging for a young crowd. A charming model house was kid-friendly and served as a good guide. I especially liked how they incorporated a participation portion where you could write about what Anne Frank means to you. The hands on experience was carried over to Anne’s reading panel wherein people could share their own favorite books.
For history buffs and those high school aged and above, the exhibit may leave you wanting. To answer this, the library has a variety of fascinating events coming up to coincide with the exhibit:
First on the schedule is The Story Behind the Exhibit on April 8th at 7pm. Hilary Eddy Stipelman, Director of Outreach & Exhibitions at the Anne Frank Center USA will speak about Anne's relationship with her diary and the impact her writing continues to have around the world.
On April 19th at 2, Agnes Adler, artist, author and Holocaust survivor will tell her story of and how it influenced her development as a creative artist.
Finally, on May 14th at 7pm, there will be a Closing Celebration entitled Conversations with Anne which features a live drama performance lifted directly from the pages of Anne’s famous diary. Tours are also available each Saturday from April 11th to May 9th from 3:30-4:30.
If you go:
Reading and Writing with Anne Frank
Albert Wisner Public Library
1 McFarland Drive
Warwick, NY 10990
Exhibit Duration: Now - May 15,2015
Visit here for more info.
This post is written by Natassia Velez. An Orange County native, Natassia is a freelance editor, literary reviewer, and classical performer. Politics and performing are passions of hers and it’s evident in her love of arts and culture. Natassia has a penchant for quirky humor, geekery, and finding new things to do in the Hudson Valley. You can read all her posts here, and connect with her on twitter and google+
