Imagine, if you will, a land where human beings and dinosaurs live together ... and neither one schemes to kill off the other.

Yeah, "Jurassic Park," consider that.

James Gurney wrote and illustrated his "Dinotopia" book series that is set on an island where people and stegosauruses exist peacefully.

The Lyman Allyn Art Museum is hosting an exhibition that highlights Gurney's original artwork. "DINOTOPIA: Art, Science, and Imagination," which opens Saturday, features a wealth of material.

Among them: sketches and maquettes from Gurney's studio, along with paintings from his famous books, such as "A Land Apart From Time" and "The World Beneath." The exhibition brings in, too, dinosaur specimens from the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History that include a Deinonychus skull and a Tyrannosaurus tooth.

The Lyman Allyn has planned special events in conjunction with the exhibition, and those are detailed in the accompanying list.

And, yes, Gurney's work served as the basis for a 2002 TV miniseries.

- KRISTINA DORSEY

"DINOTOPIA: Art, Science and Imagination," Sat.-Feb. 2,

Lyman Allyn Art Museum, 625 Williams St., New London; hours 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun.; (860) 443-2545, lymanallyn.org.

'DINOTOPIA' programs

Children's Book Illustrators at the Lyman Allyn

Presentations and book signings, for all ages. Museum members $10; non-members $15; children $5. Reservations required at (860) 443-2545, ext. 110.

Sept. 29, 2 p.m.: Bruce Degen, illustrator of the "Magic School Bus" series

Oct. 13, 2 p.m.: James Gurney, author and illustrator of "Dinotopia"

Oct. 27, 2 p.m.: Walter Wick, photographer and illustrator the I -Spy! books, "How to Build a Dinosaur and Other Prop Building Secrets: The Photographic Illustration of Walter Wick"

Nov. 10, noon-2 p.m.: American Girls Tea Party and Book Signing, with Christine Kornacki, illustrator of the American Girls books. Museum members $20 per adult/child pair; non-members $25 per adult/child pair.

Nov. 17, 2 p.m.: "Science for Kids": Armand Morgan from Yale's Peabody Museum discusses dinosaurs. For ages 7-12. Museum members $10 each adult/child pair; $15 non- member pairs.

Nov. 17, 1 p.m.: "D is for Dinosaurs" art workshop for ages 3-5 and their parent/caregivers. Per adult/child pair, museum members $5; non-members $8.

Free First Saturdays

Free admission: 10 a.m.-noon

Art projects are free with admission, 1-3 p.m., for ages 5-12. Sponsored by People's United Bank.

Oct. 6: Learn-to-Draw Dinosaurs

Nov. 3: Dinosaur Sand Art

Dec. 1: Dino-print Card-Making Workshop

Jan. 5: Build-a-Dinosaur Sculpting Workshop

Feb. 2: Dinosaur Masks

Children's Film Festival: Exploring Dinosaurs

Saturdays 2:30-4:30 p.m. Free with museum admission.

Sept. 22 and Oct. 6: "The Magic Schoolbus: The Busasaurus"

Oct. 27 and Nov. 3: "Dinotopia: The Quest for the Ruby Sunstone"

Nov. 24 and Dec. 1: "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs"

Dec. 22 and Jan. 5: "Jurassic Park"

Jan. 26 and Feb. 2: "The Land Before Time"