Building Relationships

photo credit © Seo Kim
photo credit © Seo Kim

When Selma Levi, children’s librarian at Enoch Pratt Central Library, e-mailed me last June about joining forces to celebrate Maurice Sendak’s 50th anniversary of Where the Wild Things Are, I had no idea what would come of it. Typically, these types of things blow in the wind once people get busy with their lives. Selma and I have worked together to bring my book illustration classes in to share their work with local elementary school students. Once summer came to a close, I e-mailed Enoch Pratt to see how the MICA community could be involved in the celebration. We decided that the best (and easiest) way to do this would be to send out a “Call For Entries” for Sendak themed work and see what we got! I hoped for at least 40 pieces of work from a mix of MICA students, alumni, and professional artists.

I whipped up a flyer and posted it on our blog, facebook, and twitter. The call went out at the beginning of September, which gave us a little over a month to collect art. Response was immediate. Work trickled in during the next couple of weeks, and of course, in typical fashion, things began to pour in at the end of the month. I gave myself some wiggle room to extend the deadline for my trusty latecomers. When you teach for a few years, you know to expect a few stragglers, bless their hearts. I also had to nudge my fellow super busy professional book illustrators to get them to send me work…in some cases, digitally. Such divas.

We ended up hanging forty pieces of work for the tribute show. This was my first time wearing a curator hat outside of MICA’s walls. The show looks great, thanks to all of the artists who contributed.  One of the shiniest pieces in the group was created by one of MICA’s very own library services professionals, Marianne Sade (who happens to be a former children’s librarian ).

Tribute Piece by © Marianne Sade
Tribute Piece by © Marianne Sade

See other Sendak tributes by MICA students and professional children’s book creators Anna Raff, Vanessa Brantley Newton, Lauren Castillo, Stephanie Graegin, Kevin O’Malley and more!

Don’t miss  Maurice Sendak: The Memorial Exhibition – 50 Years, Works, Reasons.
Saturday, October 18, 2014 – Sunday, January 4, 2015

Central Library
400 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201

The Maurice Sendak Memorial Exhibition is a retrospective of original works by award-winning author and illustrator Maurice Sendak. Presidents, illustrators, friends and celebrities shared a quote about the renowned author; how he inspired them, influenced their careers and touched their lives. The quotes will be presented together with the artwork, offering viewers food for thought as well as a feast for their eyes.

Visit Enoch Pratt Library to learn more!