SOWING
THE SEEDS
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE ERIC
Spread
the word
about
The Carle
Page 2
CARLE MUSEUM OF PICTURE BOOK ART
WI N T E R 2 010
PERMANENT COLLECTION
An Exquisite Addition: The Carle receives
remarkable works by Lisbeth Zwerger
At the July reception for An
Exquisite Vision: The Art of Lisbeth
Zwerger, the acclaimed Austrian
artist was greeted by a full house,
including admirers and Caldecott
artists Jerry Pinkney
and Beth Krommes.
Zwerger, best known for winning the 1990
Hans Christian Andersen medal when she was just
36, was visiting The Carle for the first time. “Eric
had sent me drawings and sketches of the Museum
when it was in the planning stage,” says Zwerger.
“But when I really saw it I was so impressed. It’s
lovely, modern, and generous. I was so honored to
have an exhibition there.”
The evening included a lively discussion
between The Carle’s chief curator, H. Nichols
B. Clark, Zwerger’s longtime publisher Michael
Neugebauer, and Zwerger herself discussing
both her range — from the Brothers Grimm to O.
Henry to Charles Dickens to L. Frank Baum — and
her famously delicate and assured watercolors.
The highlight of the evening though came at
the close of the panel when Neugebauer made
a surprise announcement that he will donate his
extensive personal collection of Zwerger’s early
~ 2011
work — which includes Thumbelina and The Nightingale — to
the Museum. Both Zwerger and Neugebauer received a standing
ovation.
“We are a museum that is collecting international material —
and that was part of Eric’s dream from the beginning,” says Clark.
“This gift means we’ll have a body of work by one of the best of the
best — an artist who should be exhibited every day.”
“I love the Museum,” says Zwerger. “It’s a wonderful feeling to
have some of my illustrations there. That they will actually be in the
Museum, in the collection, it’s so impressive. I would love to come
back. It was wonderful to be so appreciated!”
Lisbeth Zwerger and Jerry Pinkney, photo by Kristin Angel, 2010
Illustration by Lisbeth Zwerger from Thumbeline © 1980 by Verlag Neugebauer Press. Promised gift of Michael Neugebauer
Donor Wall to be
unveiled at The Carle
As a means of expressing deepest thanks to
all current donors, The Carle will unveil a
donor wall in front of the Great Hall. The
new wall will include the names of any donors
who made outright gifts to the Museum
during the last fiscal year, and will be replaced
each subsequent year with an updated list of
supporters. Outright gifts include any gift to
the Museum’s Annual Fund, Gifts and Grants,
Corporate Sponsor Program or upper level
memberships.
The Carle will continue to keep the list
of Charter and Founding Members who
contributed to the Museum in its earliest days.
This list will move to the Auditorium hallway
where the Museum’s groundbreaking and
architect’s model are featured as part of our
still young history.
Rebecca M. Goggins, The Carle’s director
of development states, “As the Museum
continues to grow, our donors are truly the life
force behind our work. This new wall allows
us to celebrate and recognize those who make
a gift of any size to support our mission of
bringing the picture book — in all its forms —
to the wider community.”
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
From left to right: Neal Sokol, Alix Kennedy, Uri Shulevitz, Nonny Hogrogian,
H. Nichols B. Clark, Lisa Brown and Ilan Stavans.
Dear Friends of The Carle,
As everyone here at the Museum ushers in a new year with all its attendant hope
and promise, we want to thank you once again for the generous support that
makes our work possible. You have set a clear mandate for us — to ensure that
picture books are at the center of every child’s experience. We do that through
world-class picture book art exhibitions and hundreds of picture book programs
for families, teachers, and librarians, both in Amherst and around the country. But
at only eight years old, our work as picture book champions has really just begun.
At the Carle Honors in New York City this fall, The Carle’s board chair Chris
Milne asked our guests, more than 250 people from around the country, to do
one simple favor: spread the word about The Carle. “Send your friends to visit
the Museum,” he said. “Take your families to our exhibitions as they travel the
country. Help others learn about the important work that happens at The Carle.”
We want to make it fun for you, our important supporters, to help spread the
word. When you contribute to the Museum’s annual fund drive, we will send you
a free family pass. It’s our way of saying thank you — and making it easy for you to
share The Carle experience with someone you love.
From everyone here in the snowy orchards in Amherst, we wish you a happy,
healthy New Year.
Cheers,
Alix Kennedy, Executive Director
[email protected]
Lily meets a visitor in the Great Hall
2
Facing Page clockwise: Moses Loeb ben Wolf, Seder Haggadah shel Pesah, HUC Ms. 445, [Trebitsch, Moravia, 1716/17] Manuscript with illumination;
Courtesy of Klau Library, Cincinnati, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
Illustration from Fun With Numbers, copyright © 2006 by Etienne Delessert. Exhibition:What a Circus! The Art of Etienne Delessert, February 8–June 5, 2011
This page: Photos by Kristen Angel
be enjoyed by a much wider
audience.”
IN OUR GALLERIES
Monsters and Miracles: A look at Jewish
imagery in picture books through the years
An exhibition in the East
Gallery of more than 100
illustrations and texts explores
the colorful history of the
Jewish picture book, from timehonored classics to popular
favorites from the sixteenth
century to the present.
Monsters and Miracles:
A Journey through Jewish
Picture Books is the result of
a collaboration between The
Carle, the Skirball Cultural
Manuscript with illumination
Center in Los Angeles, and the
Yiddish Book Center in Amherst. The ambitious exhibition,
which will be on display until January 23, 2011, was co-curated
by independent scholar Neal Sokol and by Ilan Stavans, LewisSebring Professor of Latin American and Latino Culture at
Amherst College.
Showcasing a “who’s who” of picture book artists, the
exhibition presents work by Mordicai Gerstein, Nonny
Hogrogian, Trina Schart Hyman, Maurice Sendak, Uri
Shulevitz, William Steig, and Jill Pinkwater, among others.
“This collaboration underscores the prominence of The
Carle. We are partnering with a well established institution in a
major city and able to leverage our presence,” said Nick Clark,
the Museum’s chief curator.
Monsters and Miracles encompasses everything from
illuminated manuscripts, alef-bets (books of Hebrew letters),
and Passover Haggadot to stories that consider monsters
(golems, dybbuks, and wild things), life in the shtetl, and the
role of migration in Jewish life.
Clark noted that the range of exhibitions at The Carle—
from a monographic exhibition by Lisbeth Zwerger to this more
broad-ranging look at imagery in Jewish children’s books — is an
indication of how deep the field of children’s illustration is.
Programming included an Opening Celebration Day with
a Latke Breakfast, a presentation by Lisa Brown, illustrator of
Lemony Snicket’s The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming,
a panel discussion with the two curators and guest artists
Nonny Hogrogrian and Uri Shulevitz, presentations by artist
Mark Podwal and writer Rich Michelson, and a reception for
members and guests. For additional related programming at
The Carle and next door at the Yiddish Book Center, please
visit www.carlemuseum.org/Monsters_Miracles.
COMING SOON!
Partners in Wonder
Author Jane Yolen, with more
than 300 books and numerous
awards to her credit, has had a
long and distinguished career
writing books for children.
This winter, she shares her
personal collection of gifts
of original works from artists
including Tomie dePaola,
Jane Dyer, Lauren Mills, Barry
Moser, Dennis Nolan, and
Ruth Sanderson.
Partners in Wonder:
Selections from the Collection
of Jane Yolen, runs through
May 1, 2011. A great supporter
of the Museum, Yolen said
she is delighted about the
exhibition. “I have been
collecting pieces of art from
my various books since the
mid ‘60s. Family and friends
have shared them over the
years, but what a thrill to see
a chosen few on the walls of
the Museum where they can
A Retrospective Look at the
Work of Etienne Delessert
Etienne Delessert — considered
a pioneer of modern children’s
picture books — comes to The
Carle early next year. What
a Circus! The Art of Etienne
Delessert will be on display in
the East Gallery from February
8 through June 5, 2011 to
celebrate of his 70th birthday.
“This is another
opportunity for us to exhibit
the work of an international
titan,” said Nick Clark, the
Museum’s chief curator.
Delessert is the recipient of
thirteen gold and twelve silver
medals from the American
Society of Illustrators, and was
a finalist for the 2010 Hans
Christian Andersen Award.
With more than eighty
books collectively translated
into fourteen languages,
Delessert has delighted young
and old with his imaginary
creatures and landscapes. His
works for children include
Who Killed Cock Robin?,
Humpty Dumpty, The Seven
Dwarfs, Spartacus the Spider,
and Moon Theater, among
others.
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OUR SUPPORTERS
The Fifth Annual Carle Honors
Raises $160,000 for Museum Programs
Don and Barbara Elleman
DONOR
SPOTLIGHT
Don and Barbara Elleman
were friends of the Museum
back when it was still a mere
architectural rendering. Their
commitment and dedication,
from Barbara’s tenure as a
trustee to her work as a guest
curator to their generous
financial support including
matching funds from Don’s
former company, have been
critical to the Museum’s
early success. Central to the
legacy they have created is the
Barbara Elleman Research
Library, or the BERL. This
scholarly collection provides
an enormous opportunity
for The Carle to offer its
resources as a center for
picture book investigation
and research for students,
scholars, and educators.
As children’s editor at
Booklist and the creator and
founding editor of Book
Links magazine, Barbara
became acquainted with Eric
Carle. When she heard he was
planning a museum of picture
book art, she was delighted,
offering the Museum her
thousand-plus collection of
professional books about
children’s literature acquired
during her 30-year association
in the field.
4
(continued on page 5)
A strong feeling of admiration, enthusiasm and
community among those who create and support the
art and stories of the picture book pervaded the room
at the 5th Annual Carle Honors in September. More
than 250 guests paid tribute to this year’s honorees,
who were recognized for their dedication to the art of
the picture book and its integral role in fostering art
appreciation, early literacy, and critical thinking.
Co-chaired by Chris and Lisa VanAllsburg, the
star-studded evening included moving presentations
Mem Fox and Eric Carle
by VanAllsburg, Pat Cummings, David Macaulay and
others, with more than half of this year’s auction artists in attendance. The gala, held at the
architectural masterpiece Guastavino’s in New York, underneath the 59th Street Bridge, raised
$160,000 for the Carle.
One of the honorees, Lin Oliver, who with Stephen Mooser was recognized as a Mentor,
remarked on what a wonderful community the attendees create—because of their individual
work and love of the picture book. “We are an incredibly lovable group!” she said. Oliver and
Mooser are the executive director and president, respectively, of the Society for Children’s Book
Writers and Illustrators.
Other honorees included Allan & Kendra Daniel, both noted art collectors, who have
given substantial works to the Museums permanent collection; Nancy Schön, a sculptor who
creates public art, including the famous “Make Way for Ducklings” sculpture in the Boston
Public Garden; and David Macaulay, celebrated author and illustrator of more than 20 books,
including The Way Things Work and The New Way Things Work.
Macaulay told the crowd how amazing it was to be in a restaurant under the bridge: “Don’t
you want to take this bridge apart and see how it’s made?” Calling the audience “my fellow
trolls,” he pointed out that the honor “shouldn’t be given to the person whose job is already the
best in the world.” In an interview with School Library Journal blogger Rocco Staino, Macaulay
discussed the significance of The Carle and his affection for it:
“It is a place to connect the illustrations, actual artwork, sketches, and the illustration
process with the readers. That is the most exciting connection of all. You can see the finished
Nancy Schön (Bridge) and Family
Ruth Macaulay, David Macaulay (Artist),
Lisa Van Allsburg, Chris Van Allsburg (presenter)
Ellemans photo by Glynn Williams, Carle Honors photos by Johnny Wolf Photography
drawings in the books; you can see the art in books. What you don’t usually understand is what
went on behind the scenes.
A place like The Eric Carle Museum is where these stories can be told. It opens a window
on the story and it enables us to connect people to the illustrations, and, in a big sense, to the
art of book making. Who knows! Maybe it will inspire some of those visitors or readers to do it
themselves. They look at this stuff and they think “I can do that,” and they would be right. So the
best thing about this honor is that you get to be part of this important place.”
For the third year, the event included an Art Auction of original works donated by 23
celebrated artists, including Marla Frazee, Grace Lin, Art Spiegelman, Uri Shulevitz and Quentin
Blake. The Carle Honors branched into new avenues of support in the larger picture book art
community. Among lead sponsors Disney Book Group, Penguin Group (USA) Inc., and Triad
Foundation, the Honors also garnered valuable support from children’s media company Nick
Jr., and digital media companies Ruckus Media and Calloway Digital Media.
“The evening had a terrific spirit. You could feel that people were really just excited to be
among so many friends and such talent in the industry,” said Rebecca M. Goggins, The Carle’s
director of development. “We were all there to celebrate and benefit The Carle, a very special
place that celebrates the picture book in all its forms.”
To relive The Carle Honors, see great wrte-ups at www.schoollibraryjournal.com (two
articles) and www. huffingtonpost.com — just search “Carle Honors 2010.” For more photos,
see http://carlemuseum.smugmug.com — click “2010 Carle Honors” and enter password
“carlepress.”
Kendra and Allan Daniel (Angel)
Jarrett J. and Gina Krosoczka
Lin Oliver, Stephen Mooser (Mentor)
Emme Aronson, Barbara Carle
Honorees and presenters
Support The Carle anytime at www.carlemuseum.org/contribute,
or call Rebecca Miller Goggins at 413-658-1118
(continued from page 4)
Eric accepted the gift
with alacrity before the
Museum opened, and
so began the BERL. The
non-circulating collection
has been cataloged and is
available by appointment to
scholars and researchers. It
includes subjects from the
history of children’s books to
explorations of the art of the
picture book, and biographies
of A.A. Milne, Laurent de
Brunhoff, William Steig, Jessie
Wilcox Smith, Ezra Jack Keats,
Wanda Gág, Leonard Everett
Fisher, Virginia Lee Burton,
and more.
When The Carle opened
in 2002, Barbara and Don
sent an additional 30 boxes
of books from their private
picture book collection to
help fill the shelves in the
Reading Library. Still a key
advisor to The Carle, Barbara
served on the Board of
Trustees for five years, and
recently curated exhibitions
of the work of Tomie DePaola
and Virginia Lee Burton.
The Museum’s mission
resonates deeply: “We
continue to support The
Carle’s mission of connecting
children with the fine art
of the picture book. This
museum is one-of-a-kind — one
the Pioneer Valley and the
country can be proud of for
the many ways it brings the art
of illustration into the lives of
children and adults alike.”
To make an appointment
in the BERL, please contact
Abigail Hoyt von Trapp at
[email protected].
5
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
Landscapes of Literacy at The Carle
Pistoia Duomo
Just a few spaces left! Join
The Carle on a trip to Pistoia,
Italy.
In March, educators
are invited to travel with
Museum staff to “Innovations
in Education,” a unique
opportunity to visit and study
the internationally recognized
early childhood centers of
the city of Pistoia, Italy, and
learn about their strong
commitment to families,
culture, and history.
Over the 5-day
program, participants will
visit preschools, infant/
toddler centers, and the
“ateliers” – light filled studios
upon which Eric Carle
based the Museum’s own
Art Studio. Visitors will
meet with various teachers
and members of Pistoia’s
pedagogical team, learning
about the organization and
goals for children in Pistoia,
and experiencing firsthand
their careful attention to
environment and their
strategies of observation and
documentation.
Registrations are due by
January 14, 2011. For more
information contact Rosemary
Agoglia at 413-658-1114 or
visit www.carlemuseum.
org/Programs_Events/For_
Professionals/Innovations_
in_Education.
In an outstanding teacher institute held on-site at The
Carle in August, participants again reaped the benefits of
the relationship between the Museum and educators from
Pistoia, Italy.
“Pistoia is internationally renowned for its early
childhood services, particularly its philosophical approach
which reflects enormous respect for children,” explains
Rosemary Agoglia, curator of education at the Museum.
“Educators there really believe in the young child’s capacity
to build his or her own knowledge about the world.”
“Landscapes of Literacy: From Library to Studio in
the Early Childhood Centers of Pistoia, Italy,” drew 90
educators from across the country to the Museum. This
year’s institute focused on the library and studio, with
an emphasis on the quality of space and its potential to
promote meaningful relations and exchanges between
Pistoia Institute
adults and children.
Participants engaged in presentations that underscored the importance of creating literacyrich environments that stimulate children’s engagement, research and meaning-making while
supporting a sense of individuality and community.
The partnership between The Carle and Pistoia educators is a natural one, Agoglia said.
“We share a mutual respect for the learner and strive to create environments that welcome and
cultivate thinking, problem-solving, and the imagination.”
Presenters at the two-day institute included Agoglia; Meghan Burch, Carle art educator;
Susan Etheredge, Smith College Professor and Chair of Education and Child Study; Lella
Gandini, Visiting Scholar at Lesley University in Cambridge 2007–09 and University of Arizona
2010; as well as four Pistoia-based educators: Annalia Galardini, Director of Education, Social
Services, and Cultural Affairs, Alga Giacomelli, a teacher at the Filastrocca Preschool; Donatella
Giovannini, Pedagogical Coordinator for Infant/Toddler Services; and Angela Palandri, a
studio teacher.
View of rural Pistoia
6
Art Studio photo courtesy of Meghan Burch
NEWS AND NOTES
Summer at The Carle
Gift of Australian Art
Annual Educator’s Night
The Carle’s 9th Annual Educators’ Night drew a standing-room
only crowd as educators flocked to hear Katherine Paterson,
The U.S. Ambassador for Children’s Literature, and Michael
Rosen, the U.K. Children’s Laureate. These two amazing speakers
inspired and affirmed those in the audience. Paterson’s rallying
cry of “Read for your life!” spoke to the important role of reading
in helping us to know who we are and to understand others.
Through the generosity of numerous publishers and a special
discount at The Carle Bookshop, teachers left laden with books,
posters, teaching guides, and more for their classrooms, libraries,
and centers.
A Gift of Australian Art
In September, the Museum was gifted with an exquisite illustration
by the late John Winch, an internationally acclaimed Australian
artist and writer. The work, from a book called Fly, Kite, Fly!,
A Story of Leonardo and the Bird Catcher, was given by Tohr
and Marianne Yamaguchi, who chose it from their collection in
collaboration with John Winch’s wife, Madeline.
Both Madeline Winch and Marianne Yamaguchi are also
wonderful illustrators of children’s books. The gift, wrote
Madeline Winch, “is such a wonderful tribute to John, and I know
he would have been delighted to be included in such an excellent
and important museum.”
The gift fits squarely into The Carle’s mission to present the
best in children’s book illustration from around the world, said
Chief Curator H. Nichols Clark. “This will be such a nice way to
keep John’s flame burning bright on American soil.”
The Carle hosts Museum Conference Dinner
The annual New England Museums Association conference in
Springfield, MA brought more than 70 NEMA members to
NEMA Dinner
The Carle in November. As part of a progressive dinner, guests
toured the Museum, joined a jazz piano reception in the Great
Hall, and enjoyed a fine dinner in The Carle Café before visiting
the Mt. Holyoke Museum of Art for coffee and dessert. Our
distinguished guests were very impressed with The Carle!
What People are Saying About The Carle
“As I mentioned on the air this morning, my family was just
delighted by the wonder, positivity and creative spirit alive
and well at The Carle. It truly was the highlight of our journey
throughout New England. It made my heart sing to realize the
most important and cherished souvenirs for the kids were the
watercolors we worked on at length in the art studio. I look
forward to working together soon, applaud your wonderful
efforts and thank you for such a pleasant day.”
—Joe Donahue, journalist and host of
WAMC’s The Roundtable
“It has occurred to me that if I were an artist, a big time children’s
illustrator of some sort, and I wanted to donate my life’s work
to someone, I would probably want to give it to an organization
like The Carle. Giving my work to a big library or museum is all
well and good, but I’d prefer to hand it over to a group that cares
entirely about children’s art for the good of the whole and not as a
side venture.”
—School librarian and blogger Elizabeth Bird
In a time when schools are forced to weed libraries and art classes
out of their budgets, The Carle is a bastion for anyone who sees
the merit in things “not on the test.”
“The Carle shares the same simple mission as the books it
promotes – getting children to think – so the paintings are only
the beginning.
-- From July/August 2010 Yankee Mazagine
From left: Photo by Kristin Angel, 2010, Dinner photo by Sandy Soderberg
7
125 West Bay Road, Amherst, MA 01002 (413) 658-1100, www.carlemuseum.org
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PERMIT #1
OF SPECIAL NOTE
Metal Owl Sculpture by Eric Carle
finished in powder-coated paint
with hand-painted wooden spines
The Carle is on Facebook! Join
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The Carle Bookshop has limited edition autographed sculptures available for sale. Created
by Eric in 1999, six of these unique maquettes were produced by a local studio specializing in
one-of-a-kind high-end metal works. The limited editions include a Rooster, Bird, Cat, Owl,
Fish and Porcupine, and are an extension of Eric Carle’s fascination with the natural world
as well as his deceptively simple design style. For details or to purchase, please call The Carle
Bookshop at 413-658-1129.
In August Eric Carle shared a presentation about his life and work with over 130 guests
at a fundraiser called “Cocktails and Conversation.” Museum friends came from around the
country — two educators even drove to Massachusetts from Michigan — to hear Eric’s story
and join him, his wife Barbara, and other celebrated artists.
Cocktails & Conversation. from left: Ruth Sanderson, Diane deGroat, Eric Carle,
Jerry Pinkney, Jane Dyer, Gloria Pinkney, photo by Kristin Angel, 2010