A City for Corduroy

The adventures of Corduroy, the stuffed bear in green overalls, have been delighting children and adults for half a century—ever since Don Freeman’s children’s classic was published in 1968. But few know about Freeman’s long career as an artist who documented New York. A City for Corduroy: Don Freeman’s New York presents the gamut of Freeman’s New York work, from his lively and humane depictions of ordinary New Yorkers and the city in the 1930s, to his illustrated scenes of the Broadway backstage, to his children’s books inspired by the city, including not just the Corduroy books but also Pet of the Met and Hattie the Backstage Bat. The exhibition features drawings, paintings, publications, and prints, as well as the artist’s original studies and sketches of Corduroy and other characters.