1-14-2025 4:05am

McDaniel Hosts Major

Major exhibition opening in 2025 explores romance novels and their cultural impact

Curated by Associate Professor of Communication and Cinema Robert Lemieux, "Romancing the Novel" features original cover art, manuscripts, publicity materials, genre history, and fan artwork. The exhibition runs Monday, Jan. 6-Friday, March 7, with a public reception on Thursday, Feb. 6, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

McDaniel College

2 College Hill

Westminster, MD 21157

VISIT IT HERE

McDaniel College hosts “Romancing the Novel,” a major exhibition exploring romance novels and their cultural impact.

Featuring original cover art, including paintings by James Griffin, Frank Kalan, and Gregg Gulbronson, manuscripts, publicity materials, genre history, and fan artwork, "Romancing the Novel" is curated by Robert Lemieux, associate professor of Communication and Cinema at McDaniel.

The exhibition is in association with McDaniel’s Nora Roberts American Romance Collection, Bowling Green State University’s Browne Popular Culture Library, renowned romance publisher, Harlequin, and Yale University Art Gallery (Roy Lichtenstein’s “Crying Girl” is on loan courtesy of Yale University Art Gallery.)

"Romancing the Novel" runs Monday, Jan. 6-Friday, March 7, in McDaniel’s Esther Prangley Rice Gallery, Peterson Hall, and is free and open to the public.

Hours for the Esther Prangley Rice Gallery are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Call 410-857-2595 for more information.

Events in conjunction with the exhibition include a public reception on Thursday, Feb. 6, 5:30-7:30 p.m., with a gallery talk at 6 p.m., and a "Romancing the Novel" speaker series during the month of February in collaboration with Carroll County Public Library to further highlight the romance genre. See details below.

"With an emphasis on original cover art, the writing process, notable authors, publicity materials, fan interaction, and genre history, the exhibit provides a wide-ranging view of the publishing industry’s most profitable genre – romance – and its influence over the past 80 years.”

Robert Lemieux, associate professor of Communication and Cinema

“Romancing the Novel” is the sixth exhibition that highlights the artistic and historical significance of a major influence on popular culture organized by Robert Lemieux at McDaniel. Others have included “Kings of the Pages: Comic Strips & Culture 1895-1950” in fall 2011, “Beyond Words: The Artistry of Illustrated Children’s Books” highlighting Caldecott award-winning children’s books in spring 2014, “Visions of the Circus” about the history of the circus in fall 2017, “Icons of American Animation” in spring 2022, and “Breathtaker” with works from Mark Wheatley and Marc Hempel’s acclaimed graphic novel in collaboration with the Norman Rockwell Museum in fall 2022.

McDaniel College Professor of English Emerita Pamela Regis, former director of McDaniel’s Nora Roberts Center for American Romance, past president of the International Association for the Study of Popular Romance, and author of “A Natural History of the Romance Novel,” served as a consultant for the exhibition.

“Romancing the Novel” is made possible with support from the Nora Roberts Foundation, McDaniel College’s Hoover Library, and the Department of Communication and Cinema at McDaniel College. Media partners are BmoreArt and WYPR-FM.

"Romancing the Novel" Speaker Series

Rom Con: Romance Author Panel
Saturday, Feb. 15, 1 p.m.
Carroll County Public Library’s Exploration Commons, 50 E Main St., Westminster, Maryland
Sponsored by A Likely Story Bookstore with Park Books Panel, this panel features romance authors, including Alison Hammer, Nikki Payne, and Avery Flynn, with books available for signing and purchase. Cost is $5, which includes a redeemable voucher toward the purchase of books that day. For more information and to register, visit https://ccpl.librarymarket.com/event/romcon25.
Love in Liberty: Black Historical Romances and the Joy of Freedom
Thursday, Feb. 27, 6 p.m.
Coley Rice Lounge, McDaniel Hall
A free lecture by historian and Bowling Green State University professor Nicole Jackson, co-host of the “Black Romance Has A History” podcast. Call 410-857-2595 for more information.