Current Exhibitions
IN THE East Gallery
Let's Talk! Animals from the Collection
Frog and Toad, Stuart Little, Peter Rabbit, and Noisy Nora are some of the beloved picture book characters visitors will meet in Let’s Talk! Animals from the Collection. The exhibition examines the longstanding tradition of anthropomorphism—giving human characteristics to animals—in children’s literature. Let’s Talk! features art from The Carle’s world-class holdings. Included are E. H. Shepard’s watercolors of Winnie-the-Pooh, Beatrix Potter’s exquisite drawings of Peter Rabbit, curiosities from Alice in Wonderland, as well as familiar faces from Aesop’s Fables and Little Red Riding Hood. Historical gems by Jean de Brunhoff, Alice Bolam Preston, Leo Lionni, Arnold Lobel, James Marshall, Maurice Sendak, William Steig, and Garth Williams are featured alongside contemporary illustrators such as Ashley Bryan, Petra Mathers, Jerry Pinkney, Rosemary Wells, and Mo Willems.
Exhibition design by Katie Craig.
IN THE West Gallery
Eric Carle: Just for Laughs
An orange elephant, a fish in a birdcage, a snake entwined in spaghetti—Eric Carle’s sense of humor shines through in his picture books. This exhibition features comical collages from The Mixed-Up Chameleon (1975), The Grouchy Ladybug (1977), The Greedy Python (1985), and The Nonsense Show (2015). On view for the first time are four of Carle’s amusing illustrations from the 1971 book The Scarecrow Clock. A selection of illustrated letters and thank you notes further reveal Carle’s wit and personal relationships.
This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of the Hsin-Yi Foundation.
IN THE Central Gallery
Eric Carle's Angels: An Homage to Paul Klee
At the age of 87, Eric Carle embarked on a series of found-object collages depicting angels. He dedicated these abstract assemblages to the artist Paul Klee (Swiss, 1879-1940), who created over 70 drawings and paintings of angels during his lifetime. “Klee and his angels have become my strange and mysterious passion,” says Carle. “Several years ago I began to feel the need to honor Klee’s angels in visual form.” Carle created 20 angels in a spirit of playful improvisation, unbound from the restraints of a picture book. Exhibited for the first time, the angels reveal his artistic interests and influences. Carle’s angels—singular, bold, three-dimensional—are testament to the expressive power of collage in the hands of a master.
IN THE Reading Library
Black Voices: Picture Books as Antiracist Resources
This exhibition features recent picture books by Black artists and writers that empower the reader to reflect on and celebrate the complexity of their identities. In addition to bringing joy and discovery, these books encourage honest discussion of race and racism. They honor a range of Black lives and experiences and advocate for solidarity in the struggle for social justice and equity.
Click here to view and purchase books in the exhibition.
Online
ART in PLACE: Social Distancing in the Studio
Click here to view this online exhibition.
Launched in May 2020, curator Mo Willems showcases work made by 21 artists during our national shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each artist shares a statement about making art while in isolation, along with photographs of themselves, their studios, and their work. The featured artists are: Beatrice Alemagna, Sandra Boynton, Ashley Bryan, Raúl Colón, Elisha Cooper, Carson Ellis, Marla Frazee, Michaela Goade, Katie Harnett, Vashti Harrison, Ryan T. Higgins, Will Hillenbrand, Hadley Hooper, Julie Morstad, LeUyen Pham, Amber Ren, Dan Santat, Peter Sís, David Small, Melissa Sweet, and Mo Willems.
ART in PLACE is The Carle's first online exhibition.
