New Children’s Museum to Showcase Works by Sci Fi Visionary Octavia Butler

The first-ever exhibit showcasing the life and writing of science fiction author Octavia Butler opens this month at The New Children’s Museum in downtown San Diego on March 9th.

The exhibit, Octavia Butler: Seeding Futures, focuses on the work and early experiences of the MacArthur fellow and the first Black woman author to win widespread acclaim in the field of science and speculative fiction in the United States.

Butler’s works featured themes of change, upheaval, love, and identity. One of her best-known books, 1993’s Parable of the Sower, opens in the year 2024 and focuses on a world changed beyond recognition by climate change and politics, and the hope that allows humanity to harness change.

The exhibit, which is intended for visitors of all ages, will feature Butler’s childhood and experiences growing up in her native southern California and how living in the Los Angeles area shaped her work. It also will feature murals by collaborating artist Mithsuca Berry.

Many of Butler’s works focused on the concept of change. To that end, this exhibit will focus on ways of thriving in community, as well as how to positively shape and be shaped by the future.

“The exhibition taps into what Butler would have called her ‘positive obsession’ planted in the fertile ground of the museum,” said advising curator Dr. Ayana Jamieson, advising curator to the exhibit and founder of the Octavia E. Butler Legacy Network.

“We are thrilled and excited to share the beauty and ingenuity of Butler’s life and legacy with more audiences.”

The exhibit will be presented at The New Children’s Museum through late 2025.

“Our hope is that Octavia E. Butler: Seeding Futures will not only inspire more programming but also be a space where youth of all backgrounds and identities see themselves reflected and are inspired to create their own stories,” said Gabrielle Wyrick, chief curator at The New Children’s Museum.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to celebrate Octavia E. Butler’s legacy in a way that we hope would live up to her vision of community.”