In the early 1800s, the Brothers Grimm traveled Germany transcribing folk tales. Today the pair is little known for creating the first primitive German dictionary and developing a revolutionary theory of philology, but theyve been practically immortalized by the compilation they created from their German fieldwork. Grimms Fairy Tales is the source of Cinderella, The Frog Prince, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and thus the bulk of Walt Disneys fortune. The first few editions, marketed as childrens books, provoked outrage for their ribald content. So in a formula that any American movie studio would understand, they toned down the sex and ramped up the violence. Tales from the Brothers Grimm are grist for a fascinating new exhibit at the always quirky and unique Bear and Bird Boutique, where more than a dozen local artists will show off art inspired by that disturbing, archetypal lore from the Black Forest. See Away in the Woods, which runs through June 18, this Sunday when it opens at noon.
May 15-June 18, noon, 2011