Philadelphia is now home to more than 20 rarely seen marker drawings by novelist Kurt Vonnegut thanks to the efforts of local art collector, Heather Rose.

Kurt Vonnegut’s artwork, like his writing, invites us to reflect on the human condition with acerbic satire and penetrating depth. His visual art, characterized by its simple yet poignant line drawings, critiques societal norms and encourages empathy. In this New Yorker article about Vonnegut's drawings, Vonnegut is quoted,

"My own means of making a living is essentially clerical, and hence tedious and constipating ... The making of pictures is to writing what laughing gas is to ... influenza."

Opening March 14, Vonnegut's original drawings are on display at Drexel University Paul Peck Center Gallery (3142 Market Street). Rose commissioned nine large-scale reproductions for Parkway Central Library's Art and Literature Departments to complement the gallery show. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. As A Visual Artist will be on view now through Saturday, July 19, 2025, in the Peck Center Gallery and on the Second Floor of Parkway Central Library.

This collaborative exhibition with Drexel's Founders Collection offers a fresh perspective on his artistic legacy and serves as a conversation starter on how art can express empathy, bridge divides, and help heal societal trauma.

To advance those conversations, Drexel and the Free Library are collaborating on a series of programs tying into the exhibitions:

• Thursday, April 17, 2025, from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Peck Center Gallery (3142 Market Street) → Creative Kickback Tours Kurt Vonnegut Jr. As A Visual Artist: Free Registration
• Tuesday, April 22, 2025, from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. at Peck Center Gallery (3142 Market Street) → Writers Room Visits Vonnegut: Free Registration
• Saturday, May 3, 2025, from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the Free Library's Art and Literature Department (Parkway Central Library, Second Floor) → Art Therapy and Mental Health in Creative Practice: Free Registration
• Saturday, June 21, 2025, from 2:00 – 4:30 p.m. at the Free Library's Heim Center for Civic and Cultural Engagement (Parkway Central Library, First Floor, Room 131) → Legal Workshop for Artists - Presented by Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts: Free Registration