The Wartime Escape: Margret and HA Rey's Journey From France August 19, 2012

More than three generations of Americans have grown up reading the stories of an irrepressible little brown monkey known in this country as Curious George, but few people know about the incredible journey made by his creators, Margret and H.A. Rey, to escape the Nazi invasion of Paris at the start of World War II. Stashing a few precious belongings and manuscripts in their knapsacks and the baskets of their bicycles, the Jewish couple fled Paris in June 1940, starting a five month odyssey by bike, train, and boat that would eventually bring them to American shores in October 1940. More than just the tale of a rousing escape from occupied France, this exhibition celebrates a timeless survival story, one that serves as a potent reminder of the power of human creativity and the cost when voices and visions are silenced by the impact of war. The exhibition is toured by ExhibitsUSA, a national program of Mid-America Arts Alliance.