Mindy whispered her name
In The Central Gallery
Richard Yarde: Stompin at the Savoy
December 22, 2006 - April 29, 2007
Richard Yarde is one of the foremost watercolor painters working in America today. A passionate lover of music and dance, he has found inspiration many times in the irrepressible energy of the Savoy Ballroom, which from 1926 to 1958 was home to some of the greatest dancers and musicians of the swing era. In creating his first book for children, Yarde has teamed up with the equally accomplished author, Bebe Moore Campbell, to tell a story deeply rooted in the themes and symbols of the African American experience of a little girl, Mindy, whose reluctance to perform her dance recital evaporates when she is spirited away to the Savoy Ballroom. Mr. Yarde is a professor of art at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Uptown Apollo
In The East Gallery
Picture Stories: A Celebration of African American Illustrators
March 24 - June 17, 2007
Celebrating the art of twelve African-American illustrators, Picture Stories provides an engaging and informative overview of the African-American tapestry through visual narratives, which resound with authentic voices. The art, chosen to present a wide spectrum of scenes and events, includes folktales, traditions, cultural experiences, and individual contributions, all of which define the proud heritage of Black History.
Picture Stories: A Celebration of African American Illustrators has been made possible by a generous grant from Helen and Peter Bing.
10 Little Rubber Ducks
In The West Gallery
The Art of Eric Carle: Eric Carle Picture Writer
February 9 - September 2, 2007
As one of the most acclaimed authors and illustrators of our time, Eric Carle’s work has world-wide appeal. Selections from Eric Carle Picture Writer explore the sources of some of Carle’s stories, his highly acclaimed collage technique, and a small glimpse at some of the preliminary stages involved in the creation of a book. This exhibition will also feature examples of Carle’s non-book art, as well as recent acquisitions from the Museum’s permanent collection.
Grandfather's Journey
In The East Gallery
The Art of Allen Say: A Sense of Place
July 3 - October 28, 2007
Organized in honor of Allen Say’s 70th birthday, The Art of Allen Say: A Sense of Place explores both the technical mastery and thematic complexity of this prolific artist and author. Trained as a commercial photographer, Say found his place writing and illustrating children’s books somewhat by chance in the 1970s. Author of more than twenty works since then, including Grandfather’s Journey (1993), which won the Caldecott Medal in 1994, Say has spent much of his career exploring the rich divide between his Japanese youth and his American coming of age. It is his ability to convey sentiments of alienation and dislocation in ways that speak directly to children that make his books so remarkable. The exhibition is comprised mostly of Say’s illustrations for books, but also contains examples of his commercial photography and oil painting to underscore the full measure of his creative talent, as well as his unifying aesthetic.
The Art of Allen Say: A Sense of Place has been supported in part by a gift from Walter Lorraine Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.