Shakespeare's First Folio Exhibition to be hosted by Wayne State University

Folger Shakespeare Library announces 52 host sites across the country for traveling exhibit to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death (1616-2016)

Wayne State University, in collaboration with the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Detroit Public Library, has been selected as the host site for the state of Michigan for First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare, a national traveling exhibition of the Shakespeare First Folio, one of the world's most treasured books. The Folger Shakespeare Library, in partnership with Cincinnati Museum Center and the American Library Association, is touring a First Folio of Shakespeare in 2016 to all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

"We are thrilled and honored that the Folger selected our group to be Michigan's representative for the First Folio exhibition," said Ken Jackson, English professor and associate dean of the Wayne State University Graduate School. "We are especially pleased that this critical artifact of the European Renaissance will help facilitate a collaboration between three of the city's anchor institutions at Detroit's own moment of cultural and economic renaissance. This is also an opportunity to put the unusually rich Shakespeare holdings of Detroit on display together for the first time."

Many of Shakespeare's plays, which were written to be performed, were not published during his lifetime. The First Folio is the first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays. It was published in 1623, seven years after Shakespeare's death. Two of Shakespeare's fellow actors compiled 36 of his plays, hoping to preserve them for future generations. Without it, we would not have 18 of Shakespeare's plays, including "Macbeth," "Julius Caesar," "Twelfth Night," "The Tempest," "Antony and Cleopatra," "The Comedy of Errors" and "As You Like It." All 18 appear for the first time in print in the First Folio, and would otherwise have been lost.

When the First Folio arrives in Detroit, its pages will be opened to the most quoted line from Shakespeare and one of the most quoted lines in the world, "to be or not to be" from "Hamlet." Accompanying the rare book will be a multi-panel exhibition exploring the significance of Shakespeare, then and now, with additional digital content and interactive activities. During the exhibition, Wayne State University is planning numerous programs for the public and families around the First Folio exhibition.

For its Michigan visit, programming will include a gala opening night, an international conference of Shakespeare scholars, film screenings, teacher education workshops and more. The Folio will be on display in the Detroit Institute of Arts while the accompanying exhibit will be on display at the David Adamany Undergraduate Library at Wayne State. Additional programming will be held at the Detroit Public Library, including an exhibition of their 2nd and 4th editions of the Folio.

"The First Folio is one of the most influential books in human history and to have it right here is a rare opportunity," said Jackson. "We're looking forward to sharing it with the university, Detroit community and the entire state of Michigan."

Final touring dates for First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare will be announced in April 2015.

The Folger Shakespeare Library holds 82 copies of the First Folio, by far the largest collection in the world and more than a third of the 233 known copies in the world today. It is believed that 750 copies were originally printed. The Shakespeare First Folio is one of the most valuable printed books in the world; a First Folio sold for $6.2 million in 2001 at Christie's and another one for $5.2 million in 2006 in London. It originally sold for one British pound (20 shillings)-about $200 today.

"The First Folio is the book that gave us Shakespeare. Between its covers we discover his most famous characters – Hamlet, Desdemona, Cordelia, Macbeth, Romeo, Juliet and hundreds of others speaking words that continue to move and inspire us," said Michael Witmore, director of the Folger Shakespeare Library. "Shakespeare tells the human story like no one else. He connects us to each other, to our history, and to themes and ideas that touch us every day. We are delighted that we can share this precious resource with people everywhere, from San Diego, California to Gurabo, Puerto Rico, from Eugene, Oregon to Duluth, Minnesota."

First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor and by the generous support of Vinton and Sigrid Cerf and the Google Inc. Charitable Giving Fund of Tides Foundation. Sponsorship opportunities for this major exhibition and the Folger's other Wonder of Will programs commemorating the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death are available; learn more at folger.edu.

About Folger Shakespeare Library

Folger Shakespeare Library is a world-renowned center for scholarship, learning, culture, and the arts. It is home to the world's largest Shakespeare collection and a primary repository for rare materials from the early modern period (1500-1750). The Folger is an internationally recognized research library offering advanced scholarly programs in the humanities; an innovator in the preservation of rare materials; a national leader in how Shakespeare is taught in grades K-12; and an award-winning producer of cultural and arts programs, theatre, music, poetry, exhibits, lectures and family programs. Learn more at folger.edu.

About Cincinnati Museum Center

Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) at Union Terminal is a nationally recognized institution and national historic landmark. Dedicated to sparking community dialogue, insight and inspiration, CMC was awarded the 2009 National Medal for Museum and Library Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and received accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums in 2012. CMC is one of only 16 museums in the nation with both of these honors, making it a unique asset and a vital community resource. Union Terminal has been voted the nation's 45th most important building by the American Institute of Architects. Organizations within CMC include the Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children's Museum, Museum of Natural History & Science, Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater and Cincinnati History Library & Archives. Recognized by Forbes Traveler Magazine as the 17th most visited museum in the country, CMC welcomes more than one million visitors annually. For more information, visit cincymuseum.org.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with approximately 58,000 members in academic, public, school, government and special libraries. The mission of the American Library Association is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.

ALA's Public Programs Office provides leadership, resources, training and networking opportunities that help thousands of librarians nationwide develop and host cultural programs for adult, young adult and family audiences. The mission of the ALA Public Programs Office is to promote cultural programming as an essential part of library service in all types of libraries. Projects include book and film discussion series, literary and cultural programs featuring authors and artists, professional development opportunities and traveling exhibitions. School, public, academic and special libraries nationwide benefit from the office's programming initiatives. Additional information can be found at ala.org/programming.

About the National Endowment for the Humanities

Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at neh.gov.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering more than 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 28,000 students.