In The East Gallery
Those Telling Lines: The Art of Virginia Lee Burton
March 24 - June 21, 2009
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art’s exhibit of Those Telling Lines: the Art of Virginia Lee Burton celebrates the centenary of her birth and offers a rare opportunity to see both the original art she created for her picture books and the designs she created for fabrics.

Virginia Lee Burton (1909-1968) is best remembered as an award-winning author and illustrator of children’s books, including Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (1939), The Little House (1942), Katy and the Big Snow (1943), and Song of Robin Hood (1947). Burton’s picture books often emphasize the continued utility and adaptability of older machines—and the traditions they represent—in a modern and fast-paced world, and a complementary sense of activity and industry fills her detailed illustrations.

In addition to her work in children’s literature, Burton was also a designer, painter, print maker, and an integral member of the Folly Cove Designers, a collective of artists who created printed fabrics using hand-carved linoleum blocks. Through this often forgotten group, Burton produced fabrics with elaborate patterns, designs, and even pictorial story lines that are as delightful and as distinctive as her children’s books, though far less well known. This exhibition is curated by Barbara Elleman.

Support for the exhibition Those Telling Lines: The Art of Virginia Lee Burton has been provided in part by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Click here for events and programming related to this exhibition.

In The Auditorium
Those Telling Lines: The Art of Virginia Lee Burton
Closing Program
June 20, 2009
1:00 pm
Free with Museum Admission
Join guest curator, Barbara Elleman, as she highlights the artistry and power of Virginia Lee Burton’s illustrations. Drawing on works featured in the exhibition, Elleman will speak to why Burton’s books were so popular when they were published and why they continue to be acclaimed today.
Book signing to follow.

In The Auditorium
From Book to Stage
March 28, 2009
2:00 pm
Free with Museum Admission
Composer Robert J. Bradshaw will discuss setting to music the classic children's book Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton. The presentation will include a video performance of the work as commissioned and premiered by the Cape Ann Symphony.

Members Only Event
Those Telling Lines: The Art of Virginia Lee Burton
Member Opening Reception
March 28, 2009
5:00 - 7:00 pm
Join us for an intimate Members' evening to celebrate the opening of our newest exhibition Those Telling Lines: The Art of Virginia Lee Burton. The event includes complimentary appetizers and drink ticket, a panel moderated by guest curator Barbara Elleman, and the chance to win exhibition-related items in our free drawing. Members RSVP to Jennifer Darling at (413) 658-1104 or membership@ carlemuseum.org.

Support for the exhibition Those Telling Lines: The Art of Virginia Lee Burton has been provided in part by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

In The Art Studio
Draw On!
March 29, 2009
Free with Museum Admission
Celebrate drawing at The Carle! Make your mark, experiment with a variety of drawing tools on familiar and unusual surfaces, view the "telling lines" of artist, Virginia Lee Burton, hear what other artists have to say about drawing during a special storytime focused on the drawing process, but most of all have fun!
Click here for information about other regional Draw On! events.

Logo for Draw On! designed by Peter H. Reynolds. Visit peterhreynolds.com. Draw On! is sponsored by The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Hersam-Acorn Newspapers and Weston Woods Studios.

In The Auditorium
Virginia Lee Burton: A Sense of Place
May 2, 2009
1:00 pm
Free with Museum Admission
May 2, 9, 16, & 30

A documentary film that explores the life and art of Virginia Lee Burton. Considered to be a “Renaissance woman,” Burton was an innovative children’s book author/illustrator, a visionary textile designer who also painted and sculpted in granite, marble and wood. Her art and literature remain an enduring part of America’s cultural heritage.

In The Auditorium
Only the Very Best: Using Books in the Classroom
April 4, 2009
1:00 pm
Free with Museum Admission
Using the books of Virginia Lee Burton, Anita Silvey will help educator’s in their efforts to create interesting “book studies” for their students. Drawing on her experience in publishing and her expertise in evaluating children’s books, she will highlight why Burton’s books have become classics worthy of returning to again and again.

In The Art Studio
Discovering Design
April 15 - May 19, 2009
Free with Museum Admission
Be inspired by Virginia Lee Burton and the Folly Cove Designers as you play with repetition, shape, and scale in creating your own design. Special collaborative activity during the April school vacation week.

Professional Development Workshop
Printing Patterns on Fabric and Paper
April 25, 2009
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
$50 (Members $45)
4 PDPs. Taking inspiration from Virginia Lee Burton and the Folly Cove Designers, we will explore methods of designing and printing patterns on fabric and paper. These methods are engaging for adults and kids alike, so any interested adults are welcome. Basic materials will be provided, but bring any pre-washed cotton items such as totes or t-shirts, that you would like to embellish.
Instructor: Meghan Burch

Registration is required. Please click here for information on how to register by Mail, Phone, or Fax.

In The Auditorium
From Page to Screen: Virginia Lee Burton's Life and Art on Film
May 9, 2009
1:00 pm
Free with Museum Admission
1 PDP. Join Christine Lundberg, Executive Producer of the documentary film, Virginia Lee Burton—A Sense of Place to learn about the process and challenges of making a film about one of the most significant children’s book author/illustrators of the 20th Century. Ms. Lundberg will be joined by Burton biographer, Barbara Elleman, film maker, Rawn Fulton, and composer for the film, Steven Schoenberg. The film has been shown on PBS and will be shown at 12:00 prior to the panel discussion.

Click here for more information about this film.

In The Art Studio
Build, Shape, Create!
May 20 - June 16, 2009
Free with Museum Admission
Find inspiration in Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. Construct a 3-D form using a selection of fun materials.

In The Auditorium
Stories in Music
May 23, 2009
1:00 pm
Free with Museum Admission
In the tradition of Peter and the Wolf, Maestro Classics™ presents Virginia Lee Burton’s beloved children’s tale, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. Narrated by Yadu and accompanied by a recording of the original music, composed and conducted by Stephen Simon and performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, it brings this classic story to life in a fresh and wondrous way.