Holiday Show Features Book Illustrators
Reynolds Gallery’s Christmas 2003 exhibit, “Storytellers: Children’s Book Illustrators,” featuring the work of three of the nation’s premier children’s book illustrators, opens Nov. 3 and runs through Jan. 17, 2004.
The show, sure to engage and enchant viewers of all ages, will include original paintings and drawings from a broad range of the books by Kadir Nelson, Kinuko Y. Craft and Gary Kelley.
An opening reception and book signing featuring all three artists will be 1-5 p.m. Nov. 8 in the Art Center. Books will be available for sale courtesy of Chaucer’s Books.
Nelson has illustrated eight children’s books and received an NAACP Image Award for his collaboration, “Just the Two of Us,” with author, actor and musician Will Smith. Nelson also served as the lead conceptual artist for Steven Spielberg’s film “Amistad” and the animated feature “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.”
Craft is the recipient of five gold medals from the Society of Illustrators and recently received this year’s Grand Master award from Spectrum. Craft has illustrated more than 15 children’s books and has completed paintings for Time, National Geographic and The Atlantic Monthly, among others.
Kelley is one of the most decorated artists in the field of illustration, having won 25 medals from the Society of Illustrators, including the prestigious Hamilton King Award for best illustration of the year in 1992. Kelley was the featured artist at the Montreuil Children’s Book Festival in Paris and is a prolific lecturer, teaching yearly workshops at both the Illustration Academy and Syracuse University.
There will be a private dessert reception with the artists Nov. 7 for members of the Reynolds Gallery who join at the level of $100. Contact Helen Talkin at the Westmont Art Center – (805) 565-6162 – to become a member and learn more about this special opportunity.
For more information and directions to the gallery, visit our Web site at www.westmont.edu, or call the Westmont Art Center at (805) 565-6162.