In The East Gallery
Into the Wood: Antonio Frasconi's Art for Children
March 16 - June 13, 2010
Legendary artist Antonio Frasconi turns ninety-one this year. Born in Uruguay to Italian parents, Frasconi came to New York to pursue his dream of being an artist — and was quickly recognized as one of the most innovative illustrators of his time. Best known for his intricate woodcuts and powerful social commentary, Frasconi also created a beautiful series of children’s books, inspired by the birth of his sons, Pablo and Miguel. One of his best known, See and Say: A Picture Book in Four Languages [1955], was groundbreaking — a book not as much about learning to speak four different languages as it was to experience them as part of Frasconi’s vision of a vast and complex world. In addition to the original art from his picture books, the exhibition includes books created in such small editions they are rarely available to a wide audience for viewing.
In The West Gallery
Eric Carle: Prints and Papers
April 6 - September 5, 2010
This new installation of Eric Carle’s art explores some of his early printmaking activities, complementing the woodcuts of Antonio Frasconi in the special exhibition gallery. From his days in advertising, Eric employed linoleum cuts among other media to achieve a visual variety. He executed some of his first books in the lino-cut technique, and, in their emphasis on bold shape and design, anticipated the look of some of his most beloved images, albeit without the color. Work from these better known books, such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do you See? will be included in a thematically and stylistically connected display.
In The Central Gallery
Leo Lionni: Geraldine, the Music Mouse
May 4 - November 28, 2010
In celebration/observance of the centenary of the birth of the beloved artist Leo Lionni, the Carle is mounting a small exhibition in its Central Gallery of Geraldine, the Music Mouse, borrowed from the Lionni family as well as a selection of works donated to the museum by the family. The Museum honored Lionni in 2003 with a full retrospective—one of the first exhibitions mounted at the Museum. Best known for his collage technique and gentle social commentary, Lionni started to create his beautiful series of children’s books, inspired by his grandchildren, Annie and Pippo. Lionni got Eric Carle his first job when Eric returned to America in 1952, and although they were not close socially, their work shares elegant design and big stories told through humble animals.
In The East Gallery
An Exquisite Vision: The Art of Lisbeth Zwerger
June 29 - September 26, 2010
Lisbeth Zwerger is one of the foremost illustrators working today. In 1990, at the age of thirty-six, she received the Hans Christian Andersen medal—the equivalent of the Noble Prize for children’s literature. Her range of subject is remarkable, encompassing the Brothers Grimm, O. Henry, Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickens, and L. Frank Baum to name a few. Her artistic vision is informed by watercolors executed with a deftness and delicacy that nevertheless possess an assurance and substance.
In The West Gallery
Eric Carle: A Feast for the Eyes
September 21, 2010 - March 20, 2011
Join us for a smorgasbord of picture book art that explores the unique role food plays throughout children’s literature. The works of Eric Carle, as well as the works of other artists from our permanent collection, illustrate a range of themes, from food as basic sustenance to food as the center of family social life. For Carle, for example, food has been a leitmotif — famously, a caterpillar storing up food for its transformation into a butterfly, and with equal determination, a little boy making pancakes truly from scratch. Additional events highlighting the exhibits are planned in our reading library, auditorium, and art studio.
In The East Gallery
Monsters and Miracles: A Journey through Jewish Picture Books
October 15, 2010 - January 23, 2011
A collaboration with the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles debuts on the West Coast on April 8, 2010 and travels to The Carle and The National Yiddish Book Center on October 15, 2010 where it will be on view until January 23, 2011. This ambitious exhibition explores the evolution of Jewish picture books from illuminated manuscripts, alef-bets [books of Hebrew letters], and Passover Haggadot to stories that consider monsters [golems, dybbuks, and wild things], life in the shtetl, and the role of migration in Jewish life. Curated by Ilan Stavans, Lewis-Sebring Professor of Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College, and independent scholar, Neal Sokol, the exhibition comprises a “who’s who” of picture-book artists, including, among others, Mordicai Gerstein, Nonny Hogrogian, Trina Schart Hyman, Maurice Sendak, Uri Shulevitz, and William Steig. There is an 80-page illustrated catalogue.
In The Central Gallery
Partners in Wonder: Selections from the Collection of Jane Yolen
December 14, 2010 - May 1, 2011
Jane Yolen has enjoyed a long and distinguished career writing books for young and older children. Her ability to connect so seamlessly to such a varied audience developmentally is remarkable. In the process, she has forged deep ties to many of the artists that have illustrated her books, and through the years they have given her works from many of these collaborations. This exhibition constitutes a small selection of paintings and drawings that Jane has amassed over the years. Among the artists that included are: Kathryn Brown, Tomie dePaola, Jane Dyer, Lauren Mills, Barry Moser, Dennis Nolan, and Ruth Sanderson.
In The East Gallery
What a Circus! The Art of Etienne Delessert
February 8 - June 5, 2011
This retrospective of Delessert surveys his distinguished career that comprises more than eighty books collectively translated into fourteen languages. From his early collaboration with Eugene Ionesco to surreal and politically charged interpretations of Who Killed Cock Robin? and Humpty Dumpty, Delessert intrigues his readers, young and old, with his imaginary creatures and landscapes.
In The West Gallery
Eric Carle / Recent Acquisitions
April 5 - September 4, 2011
In The Central Gallery
The Carle Collection
May 17 - November 27, 2011
In The East Gallery
Jules Feiffer
June 21 - October 9, 2011
In The West Gallery
Eric Carle / Recent Acquisitions
September 20, 2011 - March 18, 2012
In The East Gallery
Tomi Ungerer
October 25, 2011 - January 22, 2012
In The Central Gallery
The Carle Collection
December 13, 2011 - May 6, 2012
In The East Gallery
We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, original paintings by Kadir Nelson
February 7 - June 10, 2012
In The West Gallery
Eric Carle / Recent Acquisitions
April 3 - September 2, 2012
In The Central Gallery
The Carle Collection
May 22 - November 25, 2012
In The West Gallery
Eric Carle / Recent Aquisitions
September 18, 2012 - March 17, 2013
In The East Gallery
Ezra Jack Keats
November 6, 2012 - February 17, 2013
In The Central Gallery
The Carle Collection
December 11, 2012 - May 5, 2013
In The West Gallery
Eric Carle: Dream Snow
April 2 - September 1, 2013