The Original Art: Celebrating the Fine Art of Children’s Book Illustration is on display at the Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators from October 26 through December 29, 2011. Founded by artists’ agent Dilys Evans and now celebrating its thirty-first anniversary, this exhibit showcases the year’s best children’s books. For editors and art directors, it is an inspiration and a treasure trove of talent to draw upon. For art students, it is a marvelous opportunity to examine—up close—the work of the best in the field. And for the public, it is a chance to appreciate the enormous range of creativity in children’s books and to see both the printed pages and the original paintings, drawings, prints, and collages they represent.

To be included in The Original Art, books must be selected by a jury drawn from illustrators, art directors, editors, and experts in the field. This year’s show features 150 books chosen from 590 entries submitted nationwide. Two Silver Medals and one Gold Medal are awarded by the jury for outstanding achievement in children’s book illustration. This year’s Silver Medal winners are Kadir Nelson for Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans (HarperCollins Publishers / Balzer + Bray), and Lane Smith for Grandpa Green (Macmillan / Roaring Brook Press). The Gold Medal winner is Rosalyn Shanzer for Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem (National Geographic Society).

 

Three other awards are given annually. The Founder’s Award is given to the most promising new talent in the field of children’s book illustration. To be eligible, an artist can have no more than three books published, and his or her work must be juried into the year’s Original Art show. The award carries a cash prize from the Dilys Evans Foundation and a Certificate of Merit from the Society of Illustrators. The 2011 Founder’s Award winner is Zachariah OHora for Stop Snoring, Bernard! (Macmillan / Henry Holt Books for Young Readers).

  

The Lifetime Achievement Awards were established in 2005 by past chairs of The Original Art. Nominees must be judged to have a body of work that demonstrates an innovative and pioneering contribution to the field of children’s book illustration, and final selection is made by artists whose work has been juried into previous years’ shows. Two awards are given annually: one posthumously, and one to a living illustrator. The Society is proud to announce that the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award winners are Robert McCloskey and Tomi Ungerer, respectively.

 

To view a list of featured artists and their books click here.

Click here to read jury member Julie Danielson’s Kirkus interview with Original Art Chair Amy June Bates about this year’s jury process and show!

 

Click here to read Gold Medal winner Rosalyn Schanzer's interview for Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 View a list of this year's featured artists and titles >