SOWING THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE ERIC THE SEEDS

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1 SOWING THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE ERIC The Carle Honors Gala Page 4 THE SEEDS CARLE MUSEUM OF PICTURE BOOK ART FALL 2014 IN OUR GALLERIES Madeline Exhibit Thrills New Yorkers The Carle s Madeline exhibition, the first devoted to the artist in more than 50 years, debuted in Manhattan to great fanfare at the New-York Historical Society Museum & Library on July 1. Opening day broke admissions records, and special Madeline events sold out throughout the summer. The Wall Street Journal ran a preview of the exhibition; The New York Times a very positive review; and CBS Sunday Morning aired a segment in early October. Madeline at 75: The Art of Ludwig Bemelmans opens at The Carle on Nov. 15 with a reception for members. Jane Bayard Curley, the show s guest curator, will give a presentation about the exhibition, which includes works that have not been public in years. Loans from the Bemelmans family were augmented by pieces from a number of generous collectors, ranging from New York to California, as well as from several institutions, including the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for the Visual Arts at Stanford University, The May Massee Collection in Emporia, Kan., and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. A natural storyteller who drew and wrote with fluency, Bemelmans artfully blended childhood memories with his experiences as an adult to create Madeline, published in Bemelmans published five additional Madeline stories and developed the idea for Madeline at the White House with Jacqueline Kennedy. Bemelmans died in 1962, but the book project was taken up by his grandson John Bemelmans Marciano, who wrote and illustrated it, releasing it in The exhibition explores Bemelmans career through more than 90 works, including the original Madeline manuscript and original drawings from all the Madeline books. Also on view are some of his rarely-seen early comics and the complete set of illustrations for a Town & Country magazine article titled Adieu to the Old Ritz. Visitors will also see a few rare examples of Bemelmans commissioned work, including two panels from murals created for the children s playroom of Aristotle Onassis yacht, The Christina, in From Madeline and the Bad Hat (The Viking Press, ), collection of Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Royce. TM and Ludwig Bemelmans, LLC. Support for this exhibition was generously provided by Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Royce and the Walton Family Foundation. This exhibition was organized by The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

BLACK & WHITE FROM THE DIRECTOR A Special Fundraiser To honor Nick Clark and his 13-year contribution to The Carle, we are launching a campaign to raise money for a special acquisition for our

First published in 1990, this seminal book mixes both storylines and artistic styles, culminating in a resolution that is both telling and humorous.

2 BLACK & WHITE FROM THE DIRECTOR A Special Fundraiser To honor Nick Clark and his 13-year contribution to The Carle, we are launching a campaign to raise money for a special acquisition for our permanent collection in his honor: the artwork from the groundbreaking book Black and White by David Macaulay. First published in 1990, this seminal book mixes both storylines and artistic styles, culminating in a resolution that is both telling and humorous. A feat of modern design and narrative, Black and White won the Caldecott Medal in 1991 and continues to influence each new generation of artists. We hope you will join our special fundraising effort. You can make a pledge now by contacting Rebecca Miller Goggins, director of development, at or rebeccag@carlemuseum.org. Thanks to the generosity of two early donors, we ve already raised $20,000 of the needed $50,000. We will send additional information as we prepare to celebrate Nick this January. At this year s Carle Honors, Nick got a retirement surprise The Very Hungry Curator, a picture book in PowerPoint created by Tony DiTerlizzi. Nick Clark is Retiring As many of you have heard already, our beloved Chief Curator H. Nichols B. Clark Nick to us has announced his retirement at the end of this year, after more than 13 years with The Carle. Nick has been a tireless champion for the art form, organizing exhibitions that have traveled throughout the U.S. and abroad, all while helping to build the Museum s world-class collection. You might know Nick best from his entertaining exhibition tours or from his much-requested lecture on the similarities between classic picture book art and the art of the master painters. You might have seen him on stage, interviewing artists, or chatting with a family in line at a book signing. All of us know him for his warm and welcoming presence at The Carle, bringing scholarship to his role along with an easy laugh and stories that have helped us fall in love with picture books all over again. Nick first came to The Carle in January 2001 as founding director and curator. He d been the chair of education at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Ga., then Curator of American Art at the Chrysler Museum in Virginia. There, he and his late wife, Trinkett, organized an exhibition with Michael Patrick Hearn, called Myth, Magic, and Mystery: One Hundred Years of American Children s Book Illustration, which ignited Nick s passion for this field. I came to The Carle to help Eric and Bobbie create a museum that honors the art of picture books, and it has been such a privilege to help them realize that dream, Nick told me when he announced his retirement. My role here stands as the crowning achievement of my career. I saved the best for last! Nick isn t going far. He s moving to Cambridge and will continue, as our roving consultant, to teach and lecture for the Museum and to guest curate exhibitions. I am leading a search committee to find his successor and will be sure to introduce you in an upcoming newsletter or, even better, here at The Carle. Until then, three cheers for Nick! Alix Kennedy Executive Director 2 Top right: Photo by Johnny Wolf Photography.

EXHIBITIONS AND COLLECTIONS Golden Age Fairies The Carle is pleased to present A Genteel Tradition: The Art of Alice Bolam Preston, celebrating the artist (1888-1958) and the generous gift of her

Preston was an American illustrator and craftsperson especially known for children s book illustration.

Her art reflects a strong interest in fairies and resonated with some of the premier British artists working at the time, including Henry Ford and Harry Clarke.

She recalled, It seemed a matter of rescue to purchase this archive and see that Preston s work was properly preserved.

3 EXHIBITIONS AND COLLECTIONS Golden Age Fairies The Carle is pleased to present A Genteel Tradition: The Art of Alice Bolam Preston, celebrating the artist ( ) and the generous gift of her work we received from Kendra and Allan Daniel. The exhibition will be on view in the Central Gallery from Dec. 16 through May 3, Preston was an American illustrator and craftsperson especially known for children s book illustration. She worked in the teens and 20s at the end of what is often considered the Golden Age of Illustration. Her art reflects a strong interest in fairies and resonated with some of the premier British artists working at the time, including Henry Ford and Harry Clarke. Kendra Daniel discovered Preston s work at a Brimfield Antique and Collectibles Show. She recalled, It seemed a matter of rescue to purchase this archive and see that Preston s work was properly preserved. Work by Leonard Jenkins Comes to the Collection The Carle is proud to add to its collection a gift of work by Leonard Jenkins, given to us by Smith Kramer Traveling Exhibitions, Inc., on view in the West Gallery. Jenkins was obsessed with drawing as a boy, as he describes it. Originally a creator of advertising art, he eventually got the opportunity to illustrate children s books and quickly established himself as a sensitive portrayer of major figures in African-American history. The paintings on view include portraits of Louis Armstrong, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the 17th-century slave Tituba the first to be accused of witchcraft in Salem. A Retrospective of the Art of Uri Shulevitz The Carle has organized Tall Tales and Short Tales: The Art of Uri Shulevitz in celebration of this master artist s 80th year. The exhibition will run March 17, 2015, through June 7, Organized by Chief Curator H. Nichols B. Clark, the exhibition comprises approximately 90 works, including a survey of Shulevitz s picture-book art and a selection of his independent art. Shulevitz garnered the Caldecott Medal for his Fool of the World and the Flying Ship in 1969 and won a Caldecott Honor in 1979, 1999, and Eric Carle s Work Re-Imagined Throughout his 45-year career in publishing children s books, Eric Carle has had the opportunity to republish some of his titles using newer printing technologies, which provided him with an opportunity to re-imagine some of his earlier illustrations. The pairings in this exhibition, The Art of Eric Carle: Re- Imaged and Re-Imagined, running Sept. 23 through March 22, 2015, were selected by Courtney Waring and The Carle s Education team to highlight works that Eric Carle chose to reillustrate for new editions; they are running alongside previous versions. They tell not only the rich stories of the books they come from, but also of Eric s evolving style and techniques. Even the iconic Brown Bear of Eric Carle s Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? has transformed in shape, color, and texture over time. Top left: Illustration Alice Bolam Preston. From the collection of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, a gift of Kendra and Allan Daniel. Top right: Illustration 2008 by Uri Shulevitz. Bottom left: Illustration from Malcolm X: Fire Burning Brightly 2000 by Leonard Jenkins. Bottom right: Illustration from Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? 1992 by Eric Carle. 3

THE CARLE HONORS 2014 Hillary Knight, Brenda Bowen, and Alix Kennedy. Rebecca Miller Goggins and Florence Trovato. Dr. Henrietta Mays Smith.

Four Special Honorees Celebrated On a sunny September evening at Guastavino s, an historic building under the 59th Street Bridge in Manhattan, The

Guests started the evening with a chance to see friends, old and new, over cocktails and dinner; meet this year s honorees; and do a little

For the first time, our much-loved Carle Bookshop Boutique was set up with one-of-a kind offerings from Madeline, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and

This year s auction debuted online in advance at www.32auctions.

Each year, the magic of the evening culminates in the presentations to honorees.

He said that he and Bobbie were especially delighted that Florence Trovato, Eric s long-lost childhood friend who inspired the book Friends, was

4 THE CARLE HONORS 2014 Hillary Knight, Brenda Bowen, and Alix Kennedy. Rebecca Miller Goggins and Florence Trovato. Dr. Henrietta Mays Smith. The 2014 honorees. Bidding on the auction. Leonard S. Marcus, right, toasts the honorees. Four Special Honorees Celebrated On a sunny September evening at Guastavino s, an historic building under the 59th Street Bridge in Manhattan, The Carle s board and staff welcomed 275 guests to The 2014 Carle Honors annual benefit gala. Guests started the evening with a chance to see friends, old and new, over cocktails and dinner; meet this year s honorees; and do a little shopping. For the first time, our much-loved Carle Bookshop Boutique was set up with one-of-a kind offerings from Madeline, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Honoree Jerry Pinkney. The Carle Honors Art Auction featured exquisite original art from 18 of the field s most celebrated artists. This year s auction debuted online in advance at carlehonors2014, inspiring a lot of pre-event bidding and added excitement and dollars to the benefit. Each year, the magic of the evening culminates in the presentations to honorees. Alix Kennedy, our executive director, read a special message from Eric Carle, who was unable to attend this year. He said that he and Bobbie were especially delighted that Florence Trovato, Eric s long-lost childhood friend who inspired the book Friends, was able to be there. Sean Kirst, the hero reporter who helped to locate her, more than 80 years later, was in the audience as well. The evening s special guest presenters, back by popular demand, were Tony and Angela DiTerlizzi. After a warm Back by popular demand were Tony and Angela DiTerlizzi as presenters. welcome by Angela and some clever picture-book mash-ups by Tony (Eloise and The Hunger Games?), they introduced each honoree. Dr. Henrietta Mays Smith, Mentor, got a standing ovation for being a lifelong champion of diversity in children s literature. The Angel award went to Reach Out and Read, represented by 4 Photos by Johnny Wolf Photography.

Françoise Mouly, this year s Bridge, was celebrated for using cartoons and graphic novels to open children s eyes to the joys of books.

5 THE CARLE HONORS 2014 (Continued) GRANTS Dr. Perri Klass and Executive Director Brian Gallagher. Perri spoke with a stethoscope in one hand and a board book in the other about the power of giving books to children and families in pediatric exam rooms nationwide. Françoise Mouly, this year s Bridge, was celebrated for using cartoons and graphic novels to open children s eyes to the joys of books. Artist and author Jerry Pinkney was also honored with a standing ovation for his exceptional work as this year s Artist. Taking the podium, Jerry spoke of his early conversations with Eric and Bobbie about the work of the Museum and thanked them for their bold vision that has made all of this possible. He asked, How many young minds have you fired up? How many imaginations have you expanded, and how many will you continue to awaken? He supplied the answer himself: In the words of my great-grandchild, I bet about a gazillion! We hope so. This year s Carle Honors was a huge success raising more than $207,000 to support our work to inspire a love of art and reading through picture books. Facility Assessment and Planning Underway The Carle was recently awarded a $29,000 Massachusetts Cultural Council Feasibility and Technical Assistance grant. A key part of our strategic plan, this grant will allow The Carle to develop its first Facilities Master Plan to ensure that the building is compatible with the Museum s growing art collection and educational programs. The Carle is hiring a consulting firm to: analyze our existing space, including our café space and collections storage; review building systems such as HVAC, electrical, and plumbing; and review landscape design, such as parking, storm drainage, and plantings. At the end of the assessment, The Carle will receive a report that includes new project recommendations, conceptual designs, and an estimated budget. A fundraising specialist will also help create strategies for these projects with an eye toward a future capital campaign. Our expectation is that at the culmination of this project, The Carle will apply for another grant to refine and enhance our facility. More news to come! The Carle s East Gallery and grounds, full of guests during July s Free Fun Friday, sponsored by the Highland Street Foundation. Above left: Photo by Rebecca Miller Goggins. Above right: Photo by Kristin Angel. 5

EDUCATION Bright Spot Over the summer, The Carle partnered with Bright Spot Therapy Dogs for our Summer Reading Buddies Program.

Our readers loved reading books to their new friends.

The exhibition, which will premiere in Pittsburgh in the summer of 2015 then tour children s museums across the country, will focus on the very books The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Lonely

6 EDUCATION Bright Spot Over the summer, The Carle partnered with Bright Spot Therapy Dogs for our Summer Reading Buddies Program. Children aged 4 to 11 read aloud to the dogs, who provided a gentle, comforting audience as the children practiced their fluency and strengthened their confidence in reading. Our readers loved reading books to their new friends. Special Eric Carle Exhibition to Debut in Pittsburgh The Carle has teamed up with the Children s Museum of Pittsburgh to produce an interactive Eric Carle exhibition especially for children. The exhibition, which will premiere in Pittsburgh in the summer of 2015 then tour children s museums across the country, will focus on the very books The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Lonely Firefly, The Very Clumsy Click Beetle, The Very Quiet Cricket, and The Very Busy Spider. The mission of the Children s Museum of Pittsburgh is to provide innovative museum experiences that inspire joy, creativity, and curiosity. We are enjoying learning from their talented staff as they help bring Eric Carle s books to life through a variety of interactive, hands-on, and sensory experiences. Educators Night with Lois Lowry Every year, The Carle welcomes a capacity crowd of teachers and librarians to one of our favorite signature events, Educators Night, a free program with special speakers and activities. This year, we hosted more than 150 educators in October. They got a chance to browse the galleries, libraries, and Art Studio and to collect classroom materials, including posters, bookmarks, and curriculum guides, all generously contributed by leading publishers. Educators also got a chance to participate in gallery chats centered around the exhibition Simms Taback: Art by Design with Harriet Ziefert. Ziefert, author and president of Blue Apple Books, spoke about her collaboration with Taback on picture books. The evening s highlight was the keynote address with award-winning author Lois Lowry. She has written more than 30 books for young readers and was awarded Newbery Medals for her novels Number the Stars (1989) and The Giver (1993). As an author, Lowry is known for writing about difficult subjects, exploring such complex issues as racism, terminal illness, and the Holocaust. 6 Photo by Courtney Waring. Top: Illustration from The Very Hungry Caterpillar 1969 and 1987 Eric Carle.

NEWS AND NOTES A Field Trip from Japan Not many school field trip participants arrive by plane, but the students from Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan, have traveled to Amherst that way since 2009.

7 NEWS AND NOTES A Field Trip from Japan Not many school field trip participants arrive by plane, but the students from Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan, have traveled to Amherst that way since To date, almost 500 students have come to visit their founder s alma mater, Amherst College, and to participate in a four-part educational program at The Carle. Amherst College Alumnus Joseph Hardy Neesima, class of 1870, founded the Christian college, now a university of 19,000 students with a Women s College, four senior and three junior high schools, and a kindergarten. It has developed into one of the oldest and best-known private educational institutions in Japan. At Doshisha, teachers use Eric Carle books to teach the students English, said Art Educator Meghan Burch. They are a little bit shy about their English, but in the Art Studio, not a lot of language is needed. Art materials are a universal language. They love visiting the Museum, learning in the galleries, and always ask to experiment with Eric Carle s tissue paper collage technique in the Art Studio. Book Bus Yields Large Donation The Carle collected more than 4,750 books for low-income children throughout the Holyoke/Springfield area during a book drive in September. The drive was developed by local radio station WRSI and literacy champion Reader to Reader. A big yellow school bus was set up outside the Museum to collect the books. Every person who donated a used or new book was given free admission for the day. Guest artists and authors gave story readings and signings, including David Hyde Costello, Newbery Honor Author Grace Lin, and National Book Award Winner Jeanne Birdsall. Our thanks to all of the hard-working staff at Reader to Reader and WRSI; together, you made the day a big success for young readers. Photo by Meghan Burch. 7

125 West Bay Road, Amherst, MA 01002 (413) 658-1100, www.carlemuseum.org PRESO

8 125 West Bay Road, Amherst, MA (413) , PRESORTED NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #786 SPRINGFIELD This organization is funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency SAVE THE DATES Coming Soon! Watch your mailbox for The Carle s annual appeal, slated to hit mailboxes the first week of December. Can t wait? You can donate online at Also save the date to welcome the iconic Jerry Pinkney, Caldecott Medal Winner and the 2014 Carle Honors Artist, at right, to the fifth annual Barbara Elleman Research Library (BERL) Lecture Series on Saturday, April 25, Photo by Thomas Kristich.

SOWING THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE ERIC THE SEEDS CARLE MUSEUM OF PICTURE BOOK ART SPRING 2015

SOWING THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE ERIC THE SEEDS The Carle s News on the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. Page 2 CARLE MUSEUM OF PICTURE BOOK ART SPRING 2015 PERMANENT COLLECTION A Black