The Pulitzer Prizes and American Library Association (ALA) today announced the national tour of Pulitzer on the Road: Prize-Winning Works That Inform, Empower & Inspire, a new traveling exhibition that will visit 20 public libraries nationwide, opening at the Dallas Public Library’s downtown location, the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, on Saturday, Oct. 24. The exhibit will remain on display through Dec., 2006.
Through vividly designed panels, immersive interactive stations and compelling storytelling, Pulitzer on the Road highlights the history and significance of the Pulitzer Prizes; connects new audiences with prize-winners and their work; and promotes the role of journalism, books, drama and music in a democratic society.
Dallas Opening Features Pulitzer Prize Winners
The launch event for the Dallas opening of the Pulitzer on the Road exhibition will feature an evening conversation with Pulitzer Prize winning author Barbara Kingsolver, and musician and composer, Gabriela Frank. The event will be moderated by author and former University of North Texas Associate Professor Ann McCutchan, and will include a piano performance by Gabriela Frank. The conversation will focus on storytelling and the creative process. The evening will conclude with an audience Q&A. This event, the exhibition and all associated events are free and open to the public; no tickets are required. For more information, including exhibition hours, please visit pulitzerontheroad.pulitzer.org.
“Pulitzer on the Road was created to bring Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism and storytelling to communities across the country, showcasing the exceptional work that has been honored since the prizes were first awarded in 1917,” said Marjorie Miller, administrator of The Pulitzer Prizes. “It is our intent to bring the exhibition to cities both large and small, but we are particularly excited to have Dallas be one of our first given its stature as one of the largest cities in the South. This exhibition and associated events will be free to attend and open to the public, so as many people as possible can experience firsthand the impact these stories have had.”
Dallas One of 20 Participating Public Libraries
Selected from a highly competitive applicant pool, the 20 participating public libraries serve a diverse range of communities from across the U.S., from California to Georgia, Wisconsin to Puerto Rico. These libraries will host the 1,400-square-foot exhibition for approximately six weeks and receive cash grants to support public programming and activities. Pulitzer Prize winners, local media and other guests and organizations will be invited to participate in events throughout the tour. Two copies of the exhibition will be traveling at any one time.
“Pulitzer on the Road gives Dallas Public Library the opportunity to connect our community to some of the most powerful journalism, literature, drama and music of the last century in an accessible way,” said Manya Shorr, Director of Libraries for the Dallas Public Library. “The content of this exhibition underscores what libraries do best: bringing people together around
the stories that shape how we understand our world.”
Maria McCauley, president of the American Library Association, said public libraries are the perfect venue for this exhibition because they are “places where people congregate to learn, discover new perspectives and engage with ideas that shape our communities. By partnering with The Pulitzer Prizes to bring Pulitzer on the Road to libraries nationwide, we’re creating opportunities for visitors to connect with the excellent prize-winning works that drive curiosity, conversation and civic engagement.”
Highlights of the Exhibit
Iconic photographs from World War II and wars in Vietnam, Ukraine and the Middle East, and of figures such as American presidents and Olympic athletes; Reporting with national impact on public opinion and policy, such as the Watergate scandal, the Pentagon Papers, as well as from local newspapers across the country.
Works of literature such as poetry by Sylvia Plath and Robert Frost; fiction by Toni Morrison and John Steinbeck; and drama by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Arthur Miller; Music winners such as Wynton Marsalis, Aretha Franklin and Bob Dylan. An interactive station where visitors can view examples of Pulitzer-winning journalism from local and regional media outlets from their home states.
Six Sections For the Pulitzer on the Road Exhibition
1. Introduction – An overview of Joseph Pulitzer and the evolution of the Pulitzer Prizes from 1917 to the present. 2. Seeing America – Highlights Pulitzer Prize-winning photography, print journalism, literature, music and drama that reflect key moments in our nation’s story. 3. Bearing Witness in the World – Focuses on international reporting and the role of journalists in documenting major events and conflicts around the world, highlighting the challenges journalists face covering these events to keep American audiences informed.
4. Telling Stories – Explores the power of storytelling and how it helps people connect with important issues and the lives of others. This section also showcases the wide range of Pulitzer Prize categories and forms of storytelling such as audio reporting, editorial cartooning, music, books and drama. 5. Making a Difference – Examines the impact of Pulitzer Prize-winning work, with a particular focus on local journalism, demonstrating how reporting can empower Americans by exposing abuses, protecting individuals or inspiring policy changes. It also highlights the global cultural impact of Pulitzer-recognized works. 6. Who Tells These Stories – After a gallery wall of selected winners, visitors are encouraged to see themselves as future storytellers, prompting them to question how they can contribute meaningful work that informs, empowers and inspires.
The Pulitzer Prizes
This exhibition is produced and fully funded by The Pulitzer Prizes and developed in partnership with the American Library Association. Exhibition development and design is by Quatrefoil Associates, an award-winning exhibition design firm based in Maryland.
The Pulitzer Prizes are annual awards given for excellence in 23 categories across journalism, books, drama and music. Established in 1917 and administered at Columbia University, the prizes were endowed by Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian-American journalist and newspaper publisher, who also established a journalism school at Columbia upon his death. Finalists are proposed by juries in each category, with the winners selected by a 19-member board composed of leading journalists, news executives, academics and persons in the arts.
Sergey Ponomarev, The New York Times, 2016 Breaking News Photography. Courtesy of The New York Times via The Pulitzer Prizes.jpeg
