TOLEDO, Ohio — Families, educators and mentors have a new tool to teach the alphabet to young learners while also taking them on a tour of local art.
"The ABC's of Public Art" is a children's book from The Arts Commission, with art from local illustrator Merrill Rainey with photographs of northwest Ohio sculptures, murals and more.
The book doubles as a guide to those local art installations, with the location of each one labeled on a map for the letter "X" (which "marks the spot in Toledo.")
Throughout the book, children can learn the alphabet, artistry and architecture through photos of several art installations paired with letters of the alphabet and charming illustrations by Rainey, while following Artimus the Owl on a tour through the area.
In addition, the book also has details about who created each piece of public art and when it was made, adding appeal for kids of all ages.
It is the second edition of the alphabet book since 2012. Over the past eight years, 10,000 copies of the first version have been distributed and 10,000 more copies of the updated version have been printed with over 6,650 distributed, according to The Arts Commission. distributed.
"The ABC's of Public Art" is free through The Arts Commission and available online or as a physical copy. The book will be distributed through literacy and outreach programs to get copies to thousands of 3 to 5-year-old children.
To order a free copy of "The ABC's of Public Art," email The Arts Commission's public places director Nathan Mattimoe at nmattimoe@theartscommission.org.
You can also view and download the book online with more information available on The Arts Commission's website at this link.
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