The Art of Picture Books

What are your first memories of picture books? A bedtime story that lulled you to sleep, an afternoon book circle at the library, or maybe your love of picture books came later in life with your own children. Whatever the memories, you can be sure to revisit them at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

As marketers and designers for museums, cultural organizations and educational institutions we can’t help but notice The Eric Carle Museum’s well-defined and strategic niche. To start, look at its name. No need for a tag line there. You know just what you’re getting before you even step through their door. But it was just that moment, when my friend Kayla and I stepped through their door and into the world of picture book art, that we discovered illustrators of picture books can be as inspiring as the great masters of fine art.

At first glance The Eric Carle Museum seemed a bit austere, wearing a modern façade of clean white lines and walls of glass. But once we stepped inside the main hall we were met by four enormous color murals: one each of red, green, blue and yellow. A small nameplate near the murals asks: “What thoughts come to mind when you look at these paintings? And what makes you think that?” We began to share our thoughts…The blue mural had a lot of energy. The brush strokes mimic the movement and form of a school of fish. The green mural’s texture and color felt more soothing, like a meadow of tall grass swaying in the breeze.

Positioned behind this wall of murals are the museum’s West, Central and East Galleries. This is where you discover that the museum is not only a tribute to Eric Carle’s work, but also to the work of illustrators all over the world. We toured the exhibit Into the Wood: Antonio Frasconi's Art for Children. Best known for his intricate woodcuts, Frasconi used a positive and negative drawing technique to create a beautiful series of children’s books, inspired by the births of his sons Pablo and Miguel. As we walked through the exhibit Kayla and I noticed that all the works of art were hung lower than the standard gallery height (60” on center). Our theory: it accommodated a child’s view of the illustrations. Very clever!

In the east corner of the museum we found the museum’s library. Here you can sit and read some of the more than 3,000 contemporary picture books in the museum’s collection. I found and shared with Kayla a number of books from one of my favorite picture book authors, Chris Van Allsburg. Van Allsburg won Caldecott Medals for two of his lavishly illustrated books, Jumanji (1982) and The Polar Express (1986). Do you know his work? His books pull you into their mysterious stories and surround you in whimsical, dream-like images.

It seems fitting that The Eric Carle Museum has a hands-on art studio. This is where Kayla and I, along with a number of children, spent time exploring our own creativity. Kayla worked on mastering the “Carle” technique of collages, while I drew a butterfly inspired by Van Allsburg’s playful illustration style. It’s easy to see how a child, or those of us young at heart, could fall in love with this place.

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is special beyond its founding mission to inspire children and their families to appreciate and understand the art of the picture book. From its exhibits and art classes to its auditorium that hosts films, lectures and live performances inspired by picture book art, the museum has welcomed over 416,000 visitors since its opening in the fall of 2002. The success of any venue is dependent on the audience. It’s clear with those numbers that visitors to The Eric Carle Museum are voting with their hearts as well as their feet.


Share Your Memories of Picture Book With Us
Have you ever visited The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art? Or a place like it that captures the spirit and celebrates the memories of childhood? Share your stories of those places with Élan’s online community by posting a comment to this blog.