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4/3/2004

Women in Illustration

The Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge

Contemporary Visions and Voices

In the image: Kinuko Y. Craft, 'Cupid's Visit to Psyche', 1996.

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. The work of 20 of today's most highly regarded illustrators will be featured in a new group exhibition, "Women in Illustration: Contemporary Visions and Voices," to be held at the Norman Rockwell Museum from March 6 to May 31, 2004.

The exhibition encompasses a wide range of artistic styles--from the illustrations for the blockbuster Harry Potter books to the Breast Cancer Research Stamp that has raised over $37 million for research--and presents a unique look at the work and creative process of some of the nation's leading female artists. The women represented in the exhibition create art that is a part of daily lifefrom product designs, children's books and book covers of best sellers, to illustrations for the nation's top magazines and newspapers. Their work defines and illuminates society, is emotionally moving, challenges perspectives, and profoundly influences American culture.

"We are very excited to present this eloquent and diverse collection of recent works by these extraordinary women," says Norman Rockwell Museum Director Laurie Norton Moffatt. "One hundred years separates today's top female illustrators from the three pioneering illustrators, The Red Rose Girls, whose artworks are currently on view at the Norman Rockwell Museum. It is fascinating to view these exhibitions in tandem, and to consider how much has changed for women in the illustration field during the last century, from subject matter to style, and how much remains the same."

The artists represented in the exhibition are:

Natalie Ascensios is a Brooklyn, New York-based commercial illustrator since 1994, who works almost exclusively in oil on canvas. Her work is lush and painterly, inspired by Diego Velasquez, Edouard Manet, Arshile Gorky, Willem DeKooning and Jackson Pollack. Her work has appeared in "The New Yorker," "LA Magazine," "Entertainment Weekly" and "GQ."

Cathie Bleck of Cleveland, Ohio, has produced work for magazines and newspapers such as "National Geographic Adventure," "Martha Stewart Living," "Time," "Atlantic Monthly," and "The New York Times." One of her most recent projects is illustrating the icon headers for the "Wall Street Journal" redesign. Ms. Bleck works on scratchboard that she coats with India Ink, and scrapes the ink off with razor-sharp tools to create each image, an effect that resembles wood engraving.

Yvonne Buchanan's political editorial work has appeared in many publications, such as "The New York Times," "Newsday," "The Washington Post," and "The Nation." She has a keen interest in visual anthropology and is particularly interested in subjects that address social injustice. Ms Buchanan, who has recently completed her fifth children's book, is an Assistant Professor of Illustration at Syracuse University.

Elizabeth Buttler, based in Great Barrington, Mass., is an animator and illustrator whose clients have included Nickelodeon Television, "Peewee's Playhouse," and the California Raisin Board. Most of her current work is for the children's market, ranging from illustration for educational and trade book publishers to storyboards and character design for animation projects. Ms. Buttler's most recent picture book, "Yankee Doodle Riddles: American History Fun," was published in October 2003.

Alice Carter is a professor in the School of Art and Design at San Jose State University. Her clients include Lucasfilm, for whom she created a game cover illustration for "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back," and an advertising illustration for "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi." She is also the author of several books on the history of illustration, including "The Red Rose Girls: An Uncommon Story of Art and Love," and is the curator of an exhibition of the same title that is currently on view at the Norman Rockwell Museum.

Kinuko Y. Craft is one of the most well known illustrator/fantasy artists in the United States. She has been an award-winning illustrator for nearly 40 years and creates children's picture books, paintings for the book covers of many popular authors, and her art is widely licensed on posters, greeting cards and other consumer goods. Renowned for her artistry, craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail, she carefully researches each subject to create images that are simultaneously classic and modern. Ms. Craft's original paintings are in private and public collections, including The National Geographic Society and The Museum of American Illustration. She is a member of the first Illustrators Advisory Board of the Norman Rockwell Museum.

Cora Lynn Deibler has operated a freelance illustration studio for the past 12 years that specializes in editorial, institutional, children's, and children's educational illustration. Ms. Deibler coordinates the illustration program at the University of Connecticut. Her drawings are executed in ink on paper, and pigment is applied with watercolor. Text is hand lettered. Her influences include Al Hirschfeld, Ed Sorel, and "MAD" magazine illustrator Jack Davis. Ms Deibler's clients have included "The Washington Post," "E/The Environmental Magazine," Toyota America, "The San Francisco Bay Guardian," and others.

Elaine Duillo has, for more than four decades, had assignments from every major publishing company in the United States and abroad and her paintings are in numerous private collections. Her earliest illustrations appeared in men's adventure magazines and paperback westerns at a time when the work of women artists was not always welcome in the publishing industry and she signed her first commissions with male pen names. Ms. Duillo was the first important female book cover artist and revolutionized the look of book covers for the romance, mystery and gothic genres. Ms. Duillo has extraordinary skill as a realist painter who is able create a sense of fantasy. She uses layer upon layer of transparent acrylic washes to achieve a luminous effect.

Jane Dyer is the creator of the best-selling "Animal Crackers" as well as the illustrator of numerous other picture books. After teaching, writing and illustrating textbooks for many years, she began illustrating children's books full time. Images of family and home dominate her paintings. Her work ranges from the intricate detail and gentle humor of the "Piggins" series to the lush, impressionistic style of "My Father," to the classic paintings for "Time for Bed." She has illustrated over 25 books for children and is the recipient of numerous awards and honors. She lives in Northampton, Mass.

Teresa Fasolino lives in New York City and has worked for clients such as The United Nations Postal Service, Milton Glaser, "The New York Times Magazine," Penguin Putnam Publishing, Warner Books, Harcourt, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Nabisco, Grand Union and the U.S. Postal Service. Ms. Fasolino's 1991 illustration of the 50 state flowers for The New York Times immediately became the newspaper's most popular art feature ever published. Because of the favored status of this elegant still life, painted in the classical Dutch tradition, it was reprinted by the "Times" in November 2003. Her paintings have been exhibited numerous times and her work is included in many private and public collections, including The Smithsonian. She is a member of the first Illustrators Advisory Board of the Norman Rockwell Museum.

Mary GrandPré was recently featured on the cover of "Time" for her illustration work for the American editions of J.K.Rowling's legendary series of books about a young wizard name Harry Potter. Ms.GrandPré's interest in light, color, drawing and design and her experimentation with materials and techniques have lead her to create evocative pastel paintings in a style she has termed "soft geometry." She is at work on her seventh children's book and has also worked in the environment/scenery development department for the Dreamworks animated film "Antz." Her corporate advertising and editorial clients include Ogilvy & Mather, BBD&O, "Atlantic Monthly," and the major publishing houses.

Susan Jeffers lives in Westchester County, New York, and has been writing and illustrating childrens' books since 1970, including the best seller, "Brother Eagle, Sister Sky." She has received numerous awards, including the Caldecott Honor, and her work has been exhibited in many group shows, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Throughout her career, Ms. Jeffers has chosen to illustrate classic works with themes of resourcefulness, heroism and hope.

Frances Jetter is on the faculty of the School of Visual Arts, NY, and been a working illustrator for 30 years. Her work has illustrated social and political commentary in such publications as "The New York Times," "The Washington Post," "Time," "The Village Voice," "The Nation," and "The Progressive." Her work has been exhibited in many group shows and is in a number of public collections, including the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University. Ms. Jetter is a member of the Illustrators Advisory Board of the Norman Rockwell Museum.

Maira Kalman is the author-illustrator of a number of groundbreaking children's books, including the celebrated series about Max Stravinsky, the poet dog. Her work frequently appears on the cover of "The New Yorker" and she is a regular contributor to "The New York Times" and "Atlantic Monthly." She has designed fabrics for Isaac Mizrahi, mannequins for Ralph Pucci, set designs for Mark Morris and a variety of products distributed by The Museum of Modern Art. A permanent exhibit of her work is housed in the Children's Museum of Manhattan. Ms. Kalman also runs M&Co, a multidisciplinary design studio, based in New York City.

Anita Kunz's illustrations have been on the covers of "Time," "Newsweek," "The New Yorker," "Rolling Stone," "Sports Illustrated," "Atlantic Monthly," and "The New York Times Magazine." Her 23-year career in illustration has included political satire, portraiture and social themes. She works in a sophisticated, multi-layered technique, laying glazes of watercolor and gouache over pencil drawings on illustration board on paper. Ms. Kunz lives in Toronto and New York City and is the first Canadian artist to be honored with a solo exhibition of her work at the Swann Gallery for Caricature and Cartoon at The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Barbara Nessim's paintings and drawings are part of numerous public and private collections and have been shown in museums and galleries worldwide. She is Chairperson of the Illustration Department at Parsons School of Design in New York. She has also taught in the MFA Computer Arts Program at the School of Visual Arts. A forerunner in the field of electronic art, Ms. Nessim has been creating computer art since 1980 and has lectured widely on the subject. Ms. Nessim is based in New York City and is a member of the Illustrators Advisory Board of the Norman Rockwell Museum.

Lynn Pauley has worked in the New York City area since 1992. Her work has appeared in such publications as "The New York Times," "The New Yorker," "Print," and "Sports Illustrated." Corporate installations include large-scale commissions for the Orlando Convention Center, McGraw Hill Publications and Dean & Deluca of New York City.

Ruth Sanderson, based in western Massachusetts, has been illustrating books for children of all ages since 1974. Since 1989 she has illustrated and retold numerous fairytales and has written and illustrated a number of original books for children. Currently working on a Mother Goose collection, Ms. Sanderson's paintings have been included in a number of museum exhibitions. Her work has appeared on collector's plates, greeting cards, fantasy book covers, and in magazine and advertising venues. Ms. Sanderson is a member of the Illustrators Advisory Board of the Norman Rockwell Museum.

Whitney Sherman's work is commissioned by "The New York Times," "Business Week," "Forbes," and other national publications, as well as for such design firms as Tolleson Design and Pentagram and national institutions including the Ad Council and the American Red Cross. Her work is consistently represented in design publications and has appeared in numerous exhibitions. Ms. Sherman is the Chair of Illustration at the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Cathleen Toelke is a freelance illustrator based in Rhinebeck, New York. After a short career in teaching, she set out to discover what an illustrator was and how to be one. Her paintings are used by advertising and editorial clients and can be seen on the covers of books by Oscar Hijuelos, Laura Esquivel, and the Nobel prize-winning author Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Cathleen has lectured and served on illustration juries in several cities and is a member of the IPA and Graphic Artists Guild.

Norman Rockwell Museum is open daily. General public admission is $12 for adults, $7 for students, and free for visitors 18 and under (four per adult). Kids Free Every Day is a gift to families from Country Curtains and the Red Lion Inn. On Wednesdays from November to May, senior citizens are admitted at half-price. The Museum is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., May through October; from November through April, weekday hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and weekend/holiday hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gallery tours are available daily, beginning on the hour. Antenna Audio Tour of select paintings from the Museum's permanent Norman Rockwell collection is available. Rockwell's original Stockbridge studio, located on the Museum grounds, is open May through October.

Press Preview: Friday, March 5, 2004 at 11 a.m.

For more information, the public is invited to call 413-298-4100, ext. 220.

The Norman Rockwell Museum
Route 183
Stockbridge

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