Rhyme Time

October 6, 2025 – February 2, 2026

Little Miss Muffett, Jumping Joan, and Little Boy Blue represent the genre of nursery rhymes which date back centuries. In 1697, French author Charles Perrault published a collection of fairy tales and folk stories entitled Contes de ma mere l’oyle or Tales of Mother Goose. The fictional Mother Goose referred to a woman who captivated children with spoken tales and illustrators depicted her with sharp features or riding on the back of a flying gander.

Depicted in stone and glass, the mosaic artworks of Bebe Keith capture the movement, humor, and detail of each rhyme. From Mary’s silver bells and cockle shells to Little Jack Horner’s Christmas plum, Keith brings a modern vibrancy to these centuries’ old verses.

Minnesota artist Barbara Benson “Bebe” Keith’s creative childhood led to a diverse academic background in elementary education, art education, and graphic design. She selects colors and subject matters for her artwork that communicate joy, peace, happiness, and a sense of calm. Keith’s dynamic public artworks can be experienced across the Midwest and throughout UI Health Care’s Medical Center University Campus.

Bebe Keith, My Son John, Art in State Buildings # 6255 mosaic, 25 x 25