Art by ‘Caps for Sale’ author in Naples, Fla., and later Lincoln, Neb.

Art by ‘Caps for Sale’ author in Fla., Neb.

GLEN HEAD, N.Y. — An exhibit of art by the late author of the beloved children’s tale “Caps for Sale” is opening Oct. 1 in Naples, Fla., and will travel to Lincoln, Neb., and to the New York City area next year.

The show of works by Esphyr Slobodkina is part of a series of events commemorating her 100th birthday and her work as one of the first female American artists to explore abstraction. She was also a pioneer in using collage to illustrate children’s books.

“Caps for Sale” tells the story of a peddler whose hats are stolen by mischievous monkeys.

“Rediscovering Slobodkina: A Pioneer of American Abstraction” will remain on view until Dec. 29 at the Naples Museum of Art, which loaned some of the works for the show.

The show then goes to the Sheldon Art Museum in Lincoln, Neb., Jan. 26-April 18 of 2010. A final venue is expected to be chosen in the New York area.

Highlights include mural sketches Slobodkina did for the Works Progress Administration, assemblage art from the 1930s, original “Caps for Sale” illustrations, classic abstractions from the 1940s and 1950s, and rarely-exhibited paintings and assemblages dating from the 1960s to 2001.

An open house, including a talk and tour of the Slobodkina House in Glen Head, N.Y., on Long Island, will take place Dec. 13 with another planned for April. Tours are also available by arrangement and for groups. Visit www.slobodkina.org for details.

The retrospective premiered at the Hecksher Museum of Art in Huntington, N.Y., which coordinated the show with the Slobodkina Foundation, using works loaned from many institutions, including the Smithsonian and Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art in Gainesville, Fla., also hosted the exhibition this past summer.