The Glazer Children’s Museum (GCM) in Tampa opened a new traveling exhibit, The Pigeon Comes to Tampa! A Mo Willems Exhibit, on January 19 and it has been a huge hit with children all around the Tampa Bay area. In preparation for The Pigeon coming to the museum, GCM’s creative duo, Kate White and Lauren Colombo, came up with a marketing campaign to build up momentum for The Pigeon’s arrival.
“The name of the exhibit is The Pigeon Comes to Tampa! A Mo Willems Exhibit,” White said. “So, we got to thinking, if The Pigeon was coming to Tampa, what would he want to do? Well, he would want to see the sights, of course.”
The Pigeon Comes to Tampa! A Mo Willems Exhibit will be at GCM through May 12. Guests get to visit the whimsical world of Mo and Willems and his cast of lovable characters, including best friend duo Elephant and Piggie, faithful companion Knuffle Bunny and The Pigeon, the wily city bird best known for his antics in Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
The exhibit showcases how Willems’ simple stories can inspire hours of play and reveals the rich emotional lives of his characters. The exhibit teaches social and emotional skills like making yourself understood and figuring out what it means to be a good friend. Along the way, children get to make their own art, surprises abound and every exploration ends in fits of laughter.
White and Colombo reached out to guests and staff at GCM as well as friends and family to get suggestions as to where The Pigeon should visit while he is here in Tampa. “We started out by picking some of our favorite spots in Tampa, but soon other organizations saw our campaign and started inviting us behind the scenes at their venues,” White said. “We have also engaged our staff, who has really taken ownership of the project by reaching out to their friends and family to get us access to exciting locations in Tampa Bay.”
So far, The Pigeon has been to a USF Women’s Basketball game, traveled to Tropicana Field to throw a baseball out on the field, rode in News Channel 8’s Eagle 8 helicopter and most recently, spent the day at the Florida State Fair & more. The Pigeon enjoyed some funnel cake while he was at the fair!
“The response has been so positive,” White said. “My favorite part of this campaign has been seeing the reactions on social media. A highlight for me has been when Yottoy, the toy company that created the stuffed animal we use, shares our posts and images!”
If you would like to see The Pigeon’s journey around Tampa, use #thepigeoncomstotampa on Instagram to follow The Pigeon’s adventures.
To learn more about the exhibit, visit www.Glazermuseum.org. The museum is located at 110 W. Gasparilla Plaza in downtown Tampa. Hours of operations are Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sundays from 1-6 p.m.
