Young at art
Children’s Book Society holds annual exhibit of children’s book illustrations
By K. Michelle Moran
Arts & Entertainment Editor
The work may be aimed at kids, but children’s book illustration can hardly be called child’s play.
This should be evident during the Children’s Book Society’s fifth annual exhibit, April 25 to May 1 at the Maniscalco Gallery in Grosse Pointe City. Founded by College for Creative Studies alumni Mary Anne Strong of Sterling Heights in 1998, when she was still a student, the Children’s Book Society serves to promote children’s illustration. CCS now offers a class in the subject, and its students submit works for the annual show.
Chuck Gillies of Berkley, the instructor of this year’s class, has illustrated children’s books as well as portraits, sports and religious art for publishers.
“Part of the appeal of being a children’s book illustrator is having the opportunity to create a series of ... [images] that tell a story and bring enjoyment to the viewer, while helping to form that reader’s perceptions and understanding and worldview,” Gillies said. “It’s also nice that the art is returned to the illustrator at the end of the job.”
For the first time, the exhibit will be juried, meaning that not every submission will make it into the show. Professional illustrator Cyd Moore of Oakland County will jury alumni work, while Gillies and exhibit co-founder and curator Casey Wise of Grosse Pointe Farms (an associate professor in CCS’ illustration department) will jury student work.
The decision to jury the show is partly practical; Wise said they have less display space at the Maniscalco Gallery than they did at Ambleside Galleries in Grosse Pointe City and the Elizabeth Stone Gallery in Birmingham (both of which have since closed). But that could be a positive.
“I think it will raise the bar a little bit and make the show better, because it will be geared towards keeping the better pieces in the show,” Wise said.
CCS students expected to be in the show include Adam Ball of Hazel Park, Joshua Clay of Birmingham, Alexis Jasmund of Clinton Township, Joe Parzych of Shelby Township and Scott Witinko of Sterling Heights.
“I try and challenge myself on a day in and day out basis to be able to do anything, in any style needed,” Clay said. “The children’s book illustrations were a great challenge because not only did the images need to be well thought out, they needed to be directed in a fashion that would capture the heart of the reader, whether it be a child or the mother [or] father of the child.”
CCS alumni expected to be in the show included Mary Anne Strong of Sterling Heights (who launched the Society as a student in 1998), Karl Kanai of Eastpointe and Cynthia Helvey of Macomb Township.
The only non-CCS student or alumni member in the show is Rick Lieder of Berkley, a professional children’s book illustrator with several works to his name, Wise said.
Each year, Wise said the exhibit gets better.
Gillies said visitors will see “some delightful artwork that is fun to look at and suitable for halls, walls and publication.”
It’s an exhibit participants say should be enjoyable for all ages.
“I think people can expect to see some really well thought out images — not only images that are engaging to a child, but images that really affect the inner child in all of us,” Clay said.
Catch the exhibit
The Children’s Book Society will hold its annual exhibition of children’s book illustrations from April 25 to May 1 at the Maniscalco Gallery, 17728 Mack in Grosse Pointe City. Work will be available for purchase. There will be an opening reception from 2-5 p.m. April 25. For more information, call the gallery at (313) 886-2993 or visit www.maniscalcogallery.com.