In The East Gallery
Nancy Ekholm Burkert: The Art of Illustration
January 31 - March 30, 2003
From James and the Giant Peach (1961) and Acts of Light (1980) to Valentine & Orson (1989), Nancy Ekholm Burkert's extraordinary body of work exemplifies the fine art and meticulous art of illustration. Her masterfully-drafted and painstakingly-researched treatments of universal themes such as the search for love and respect for the natural world draw us into new magical realms.
Highlights of the exhibition include the exploration of Burkert's artistic process, from preliminary drawings to her use of a rich variety of source materials.
In The East Gallery
The Art of Mitsumasa Anno: Bridging Cultures
April 15 - June 29, 2003
The first-ever American retrospective of the art of Mitsumasa Anno explores the genius and wit of this Japanese master, whose world famous work, including Anno's ABC and Anno's U.S.A., has been described as "an adventure in imagination." The exhibition features some of Anno's most admired and highlights his fascinated study of nature, art, history, travel, and literature, as well as his intense interest in the themes of time, space, and place.
Major financial assistance has been provided by the Asahi Shimbun, All Nippon Airlines (ANA), and Mr. Motoo Ito of the Book Globe Company.
In The East Gallery
Leo Lionni: A Passion for Creativity
July 13 - October 19, 2003
Exploring the work of one of the most beloved picture book artists of the twentieth century, this exhibition surveys Lionni's career through a selection of his major works, and highlights the artist's consistant aesthetic of elegant design, magical draftmanship, and universal message. Included are examples from Inch by Inch(1960), the story of an inchworm who resonates with Carle's hungry caterpillar, as well as from such favorites such as Alexander and the Wind-up Mouse and Fish is Fish (1970). In addition, examples of Lionni's drawing, printmaking, and sculpture help to round out or view of this master, who saw the picture book as theater, its pages the stage on which his protagonists could act out social dramas.
In The East Gallery
From the Silver Age to Stalin: Russian Children's Book Illustration in the Sasha Lurye Collection
November 7, 2003 - January 18, 2004
Drawn from the Private Collection of Sasha Lurye, the exhibition explores the beauty and artistry of illustration from the last years of the Czars to the Soviet dictatorship under Stalin. The range of work encompasses a rich diversity of artistic expression from Art Nouveau and Constructivism to the politically charged realism that reinforced Soviet dogma. Among the more than seventy original works of art are examples by Ivan Bilibin, Vladimir Lebedev, and Vera Ermolaeva as well as printed books with art by Marc Chagall, El Lissitzky, and Alexandr Rodchenko. That so much of this work survived revolution, retribution, and censorship is truly remarkable.