October 24, 2026 — February 28, 2027

Before Arthur became a beloved television character, he was an idea born from a bedtime story. In 1975, Marc Brown began telling his young son a story about an aardvark who was worried about his nose. That story became Arthur’s Nose, published in 1976, and marked the beginning of a world filled with characters, humor, friendship, and the everyday experiences of childhood.

Believe in Yourself: What We Learned from Arthur, The Art of Marc Brown invites visitors to discover the original artwork behind Arthur and explore the imagination and creative process of the artist who brought him to life. The exhibition features original illustrations, preliminary drawings, thumbnail layouts, character designs, and artwork from throughout Brown’s career. Familiar characters including Arthur, D.W., and Mr. Ratburn appear alongside artwork from stories such as D.W. Rides Again, Arthur’s Halloween, Arthur’s Christmas, and Arthur Turns Green. The exhibition also looks beyond Arthur to Brown’s work for books including Wild About Books, Hand Rhymes, If All the Animals Came Inside, and Little Shop of Monsters.

Throughout the exhibition, visitors can see how Brown transformed ideas into finished illustrations. Preliminary drawings and thumbnail layouts reveal the many stages of planning, experimentation, and revision that go into creating a picture book. Brown has often emphasized that the creative process involves mistakes, persistence, and plenty of revision—a fitting reflection of the lessons found throughout Arthur’s world.

The exhibition is designed to be enjoyed together. An enlarged replica of Brown’s book Believe in Yourself welcomes visitors into the gallery, while a reading nook tucked behind it provides a place for families and friends to sit, read, and explore copies of the books represented in the exhibition. Whether Arthur was part of your own childhood or is a new discovery, the exhibition offers an opportunity to share stories, explore original artwork, and connect across generations.

At its heart, Believe in Yourself celebrates the lessons that have made Arthur’s stories enduring: be yourself, be willing to make mistakes, accept help and offer it to others, tell the truth, remain open to change, and keep trying. For longtime fans, it is an invitation to revisit a beloved childhood friend. For a new generation, it is an introduction to the artist, stories, and imagination behind one of children’s literature’s most recognizable characters.

Believe in Yourself: What We Learned From Arthur, The Art of Marc Brown exhibition organized by the Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown, NY. Museum tour organized by Landau Traveling Exhibitions, Los Angeles, CA.

The Hagerstown presentation has been made possible through the support of Dr. and Mrs. Robert K. Hobbs