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Over Rainbows and Down Rabbit Holes: The Art of Children's Books
March 15 - June 15, 2008
This magical presentation features approximately 70 works of art created specifically for children’s books. These original works, seen as independent creations while connecting with their literary context, inspire the imagination and celebrate the creativity of making picture books for readers of all ages. The exhibition is drawn from the outstanding collection of picture book art assembled by Zora and Les Charles and is organized by SBMA in collaboration with The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA, the first full-scale museum in this country devoted to national and international picture book art.
Classics in this exhibition include The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne and illustrated by Ernest Shepard, and The Travels of Babar by Jean de Brunhoff. Works by Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, and Kay Nielsen represent the earlier golden age of illustration, while the majority of examples focus on the flowering of the genre by artists and authors working in the post-World War II period. Trina Schart Hyman (Little Red Riding Hood), Chris Van Allsburg (Jumanji), and husband and wife team Leo and Diane Dillon (Earth Mother) are among the contemporary illustrators represented.
The breadth of works featured in the exhibition stems from Santa Barbara resident and collector, Zora Charles’s favorite stories. So, instead of limiting the presentation to a particular subject matter, artist, or illustrative or printing technique, the assemblage offers a more human perspective – one that represents a walk through time, from childhood memories to once-again-realized, adult imagination. “I’ve always loved to read,” writes Charles in an excerpt from her essay. “I would always pore over the illustrations as I was reading. Did the pictures coincide with my imagination as I read? Or even better, did the illustrations tell me more about the story than the words did? Did they create a world for the story to live in? That’s where the magic begins. Any competent artist can paint a picture to demonstrate what the words say. But the great illustrators use the words as a key to unlock a magical, visual universe.”
Her passion for collecting began when she started attending antiquarian book fairs with her husband, Les Charles, an eager collector of rare books, more than 20 years ago. He encouraged Zora to start her own collection of children’s books, given her background as an elementary school teacher. She started with the Caldecott Medal winners, such as Robert Lawson and Gerald McDermott – but quickly found inspiration from Peter Glassman and James Carey of Books of Wonder, one of the largest and oldest sources of children’s publications. As she was introduced to many of the artists of the works she was collecting, she realized that a children’s book illustration is a true art form that can stand on its own, separate from the books that inspire it. The next thing she knew, she had the “collecting disease.”
The result of this artful ailment is certainly SBMA’s gain. The resulting exhibition is not only a scholarly presentation of some of the finest examples of original illustrative art, but also a source of inspiration and a connection between visual and verbal literacy. The Museum’s Education Department is excited by the opportunity to further their ongoing quest to promote visual literacy to children of all ages. The idea that pictures can be “read” is the golden thread that runs through the countless number of education programs that the Museum offers on an ongoing basis. An upcoming project that specifically reflects this goal is the reinstallation in March 2008 of the Robert and Marlene Veloz Children’s Gallery, which will be loosely themed around the material presented in the Over Rainbows and Down Rabbit Holes exhibition.
This exhibition has been made possible in part through generous gifts from Susan and John Sweetland, Audrey Hillman Fisher Foundation, Arthur and Carolyn Merovick (Farish Fund), William E. Weiss Foundation, and smART Families.
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
1130 State Street . Santa Barbara . CA . 93101
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La Femme
Just in time for Mother’s Day, Gallery Nucleus is reprising the first Girl Show from 2005! La Femme is a visual celebration of mothers, daughters, and sisters everywhere—featuring a diverse and talented group of exclusively female illustrators picked from all over the world.
The artworks pay tribute to the complexities and joys of motherhood in addition to reflecting life from a woman's perspective. Pieces range from the serious to cute, and the provocative to chic—covering the entire spectrum of what it is to be a woman. Through its exciting roster of artists, La Femme hopes to showcase and celebrate women in art.
Artists include:
Adolie Day
Aline Yamada
Amy Sol
Annika Wester
Brandi Milne
Catherine Campbell
Clio Chiang
Elizabeth Ito
Emma Goo
Hannah Stouffer
Julie Nishioka
Julie West
Junko Mizuno
Kendra Binney
Kukula
Lulu *Plasticpirate
Marguerite Sauvage
Mari Inukai
Maria Vittoria Benatti
Miss Mindy
Stina Persson
Vera Brosgol
Yellena
May 10 thru June 3, 2008
Gallery Nucleus
210 East Main Street
Alhambra, CA 91801
626-458-7477
Mon.-Thurs.: 12pm-9pm. Fri.-Sun.: 11am-10pm.
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Into The Woods.
An exhibition of new original paintings by five established visual story tellers. These whimsical yet sophisticated works display narrative and timeless images suitable for all ages. During the opening Chris, Catia, Kazu, and Robert will be in attendance signing books, post cards, and other printed matter.
Featured Artists:
An award-winning illustrator, Catia Chien’s work has been seen in children’s books, the Flight graphic novel anthology, and various exhibitions. She currently works as an illustrator at Nickelodeon.
Chris Appelhans is a concept artist in the entertainment industry whose work can be seen in such films as the Oscar-nominated Monster House. He has recently published a collection of comics called Frank and Frank and is working as a freelance illustrator for several major motion pictures.
As editor of the immensely popular graphic novel anthology series, Flight, Kazu Kibuishi has also garnered accolades for his graphic novel Daisy Kutter: The Last Train. His most recently published work, Amulet, has been optioned by Warner Brothers to be made into a feature film.
Robert Kondo is a concept artist at Pixar Animation, where he has worked on such films as Ratatouille. In 2005, along with several other Pixar artists, he launched an imprint called E-Ville Press Comics to market and publish comics by Pixar artists.
Yoko Tanaka has illustrated several children’s books, and has done editorial illustration work for publications such as the Los Angeles Times. Her work has been exhibitied in galleries throughout the U.S.
At Gallery Nucleus.
June 14, 2008 - June 30, 2008
Opening Reception / Jun 14, 2008, 7:00PM - 11:00PM
Gallery Nucleus
210 East Main Street
Alhambra, CA 91801
626-458-7477
Mon.-Thurs.: 12pm-9pm. Fri.-Sun.: 11am-10pm.
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