The Original Art Exhibit

The Museum of Illustration at the Society of Illustrators is proud to present The Original Art, an annual exhibit celebrating the fine art of children’s book illustration, on display from Saturday, October 26, 2024 – Saturday, February 1, 2025.

Founded in 1980 by illustrators’ agent and art director Dilys Evans, this exhibit showcases original art from the year’s best children’s books as determined by a jury of outstanding illustrators and publishing personnel. The jury also selects Gold and Silver Medal recipients for the year’s exhibit.

The 2024 Gold Medal is awarded to Beatrice Alemagna for Pepper & Me (Astra Publishing House / Hippo Park Books). Silver Medals are awarded to Lian Cho for Pig Town Party (HarperCollins Publishers / Clarion Books) and Júlia Sardà for Godfather Death (Penguin Young Readers, Penguin Random House / Viking Children’s Books).

RELATED EVENTS

The Dilys Evans Founder’s Award celebrates the year’s most promising new talent in the field. The 2024 jury has selected Celia Jacobs for The Circuit (HarperCollins Publishers / Clarion Books).

The Lifetime Achievement Awards recognize artists whose work has made pioneering contributions to the field. Nominees in two categories, Contemporary and Posthumous, are proposed by past chairs of The OA, and winners are chosen by artists who were previously juried into the show. This year’s recipients are Lisbeth Zwerger and Fred Marcellino.

Selected books, medal recipients, and award winners will be recognized and honored during the awards ceremony, to be held on Friday, November 15, beginning at 6:30 pm. More details and tickets can be found here.

The Society will be hosting several community events in addition to educational programs for K-12 students for the duration of the exhibit. Dates and descriptions can be found on our events page.