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READING PICTURES 2024: The Artist’s Voice and Vocabulary in Picture Books
December 2 @ 1:00 pm - 5:30 pm
$35.00
Join us for an in-depth exploration of the annual Original Art exhibit, featuring the very best illustrations in books for children this year.
Art Directors Laurent Linn (Simon & Schuster) and Cecilia Yung (Penguin Books for Young Readers) will examine the highlights of this spectacular show, discuss industry trends, and share back stories of some of the books on view.
Illustrators Jason Chin (joining virtually), Brendan Wenzel, and Yuko Shimizu will reveal their behind-the-scenes decisions and demonstrate their creative processes.
The event will conclude with a book signing and a chance to chat with the illustrators, the art directors, and your colleagues.
The non-refundable registration fee is $35.00. It covers admission to The Original Art exhibit ($15 value), talks by two art directors, presentations by three illustrators, and a copy of the exhibit catalog ($25 value).
Schedule:
1:00 pm: Gallery Opens for Check-In
1:15 pm: Intro and Highlights from the Exhibit with Laurent Linn and Cecilia Yung
2:15 pm: Opportunity to View Exhibit
3:00 pm: Illustrators’ Presentations
3:00 pm Jason Chin
3:35 pm Brendan Wenzel
4:10 pm Yuko Shimizu
4:45 pm Q&A
5:00 pm: Book Signing
Jason Chin grew up in a small New Hampshire town and was mentored by Caldecott medalist Trina Schart Hyman, who lived nearby and inspired his career. He was awarded a Caldecott Medal for his illustrations for Watercress by Andrea Wang, and he’s the author and illustrator of acclaimed picture books such as Redwoods, Your Place in the Universe, and Grand Canyon, which received an Orbis Pictus Award, a Caldecott Honor and a Sibert Honor. Jason has explored lava fields, camped with scorpions, and swum with sharks. He now lives in Vermont with his family and continues to create books that reflect his love of nature, science, and art. The most recent book he illustrated, Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall by Lynn Brunelle, was published to starred reviews.
Brendan Wenzel is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator based in upstate New York. He received a Caldecott Honor for They All Saw a Cat and has released two follow-ups, Inside Cat and Two Together, all published to starred reviews and acclaim. His other work includes concept board books, such as the popular Hello Hello series, and picture books, such as Every Creature Dreaming and A Stone Sat Still, and he’s the illustrator of work by other authors, such as Solar Bear by Beth Ferry and Some Bugs by Angela DiTerlizzi. Brendan has a great affection for trees and all the furry, feathered, and scaly things that you can find in them, and he has teamed up with many groups working to preserve wild places and creatures around the world.
Yuko Shimizu is a New York-based illustrator and an instructor at the School of Visual Arts. Her versatile work spans a wide range, from editorial to advertising to comic books and children’s books. She has received multiple awards and honors in each discipline, and this year, she was inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame. She received a Caldecott Honor for The Cat Man of Aleppo by Irene Latham, and other children’s books she has illustrated include Barbed Wire Baseball by Marissa Moss and A Tear in the Ocean and A Crack in the Sea by H. M. Bouwman. The latest book she illustrated, Up, Up, Ever Up! Junko Tabei: A Life In The Mountains by Anita Yasuda, has received starred reviews and was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2024.