Young at Art: A Selection of Caldecott Book Illustrations

The exhibition Young at Art: A Selection of Caldecott Book Illustrations presents original illustrations from classic children’s literature. These pieces are widely recognized not only as artistic classics but also as the source of countless beloved memories for the young and young at heart. The exhibition includes original illustrations from Caldecott Medal recipients, “runner-up” Honor books, as well as other illustrations by award-winning artists. Young at Art celebrates the vision and talent of twenty-eight award-winning artists, including the first Caldecott Award recipient Dorothy P. Lathrop (1938), two-time winner Chris Van Allsburg (1982, 1986), and Maurice Sendak (1964), whose work Where the Wild Things Are, like Van Allsburg’s Jumanji and The Polar Express, was adapted for the big screen.

The Caldecott Collection of Children’s Book Illustrations is part of the permanent collection of the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, Texas. The museum has collected children’s book illustrations for more than fifty years. Curated by Danny Bills, curator of collections and exhibitions at Wichita Falls Museum of Art, and organized by Wichita Falls Museum of Art at Midwestern State University, Young at Art is part of ExhibitsUSA, a program of Mid-America Arts Alliance with support from the Nebraska Arts Council and The National Endowment for the Arts.

Join us online December 16 for a free virtual author talk with children's literature expert Leonard Marcus as he discusses the life and work of illustrator Randolph Caldecott and the literary award that shares his name.You can learn more about the event here.

You can also bring the whole family to the Red Cloud Opera House on December 18 for a free screening of the film Jumanji, adapted from the Caldecott Medal-winning novel by Chris Van Allsburg, whose illustrations you can view in the art gallery as part of Young at Art.

If you would like to bring a group or class to the exhibit for a special storytime or art activity, please email education coordinator Rachel Olsen at rolsen@willacather.org.

 Programming at the National Willa Cather's Red Cloud Opera House is made possible with the support of the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.

Pictured: Leonard Weisgard (1916–2000), Mother Hen, c 1947; acrylic, 15 1/2 x 15 1/2 inches; Courtesy of Wichita Falls Museum of Art at Midwestern State University.