Through the month of June, a rare exhibit of original works by renowned illustrator and children’s book author Maurice Sendak is on view in the downtown Nashville Public Library’s Courtyard Gallery.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of his classic book, “Where the Wild Things Are,” “Maurice Sendak: The Memorial Exhibition” includes 50 works of art as well as 50 quotes from notable fans like Spike Jonze, Neil Gaiman, Tom Hanks and Barack Obama. The artwork includes a range of Sendak’s output, including drawings, paintings, prints, animation cels and sculpture.
Widely considered one of the most important children’s authors of the 20th century, Sendak changed the landscape of picture books for generations of readers. Throughout his 60-year career, he illustrated over 100 books, most notably “Chicken Soup With Rice,” “Where the Wild Things Are” and “In the Night Kitchen.” As former U.S. President Bill Clinton is quoted as saying in the exhibition, “Perhaps no one has done as much to show the power of the written word on children, not to mention on their parents, as Maurice Sendak.”
The first touring exhibition since his death in 2012, this retrospective offers an intimate look at the evolution of Sendak’s influential and distinctive artistic style. From childhood school assignments to recent film concept designs, viewers get a unique opportunity to explore (continue reading)