Exhibition and Events Recap

Leonard Marcus presentation

ANCA Annual Meeting that was held on Sept. 16 was also the opening reception for Arne Nixon Center's exhibition 'Down the Rabbit Hole with Lewis Carroll and Leonard Weisgard'. Guest speaker Leonard Marcus was excellent in his presentation of Leonard Weisgard's arts and contributions to the children's literature field.

Among the highlights of the evening are special guests Abby and Chrissy Weisgard daughters of Leonard Weisgard, and a rousing presentation as Mad Hatter by Peter McDonald, Henry Madden Library's Dean.

Here are some pictures from the event:

Peter McDonald as Mad Hatter

Leonard Marcus signing session

Abby Weisgard and Angelica Carpenter

Alice in Wonderland-themed cookie

The 'Down the Rabbit Hole with Lewis Carroll and Leonard Weisgard' exhibition in the Henry Madden Library was open to the public from September 16 - October 26, 2011.

More than 4000 people came to visit the exhibit that displayed Lewis Carroll materials from the Arne Nixon Center’s extensive collection, including original art by Leonard Weisgard for his 1949 edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.

Also on display were other materials on loan including original Leonard Weisgard arts on loan from his family, original Alice-themed art by Charles M. Schulz for his “Peanuts” comic strip (loaned by the Charles M. Schulz Museum), anamorphic Alice bronze sculptures loaned by artist Karen Mortillaro, original art loaned by author/illustrator Byron Sewell, and original Lewis Carrol materials loaned by Mark Burstein.

The 9th IBBY Regional Conference: Peace The World Together With Children's Books, held on Oct. 21-23, provides a unique opportunity for teachers, librarians, and other readers to experience the world of international children's and young adult literature and serve as the closing event for our exhibition.

The three day conference was filled with many events including key-note speakers such as Pam Munoz Ryan, Grace Lin, Adwoa Badoe, and many more; discussion groups and post-conference tours to the Shinzen Garden and Yosemite National Park.

To view more photos of these events, visit Arne Nixon Center's web album: http://picasaweb.google.com/arne.nixon.center

Leonard Marcus in Fresno on Sept. 16

The annual meeting of ANCA, the Arne Nixon Center Advocates, will be held Friday, September 16, 2011, with a talk by Leonard Marcus. This event will mark the opening of the Arne Nixon Center’s exhibition “Down the Rabbit Hole with Lewis Carroll and Leonard Weisgard.” 

Leonard Marcus

The program, to be held at the Henry Madden Library on the campus of California State University, Fresno, will feature a 6:00 p.m. reception, followed by a talk at 7:00 by Leonard Marcus, entitled “Revolution in 32 Pages: How Leonard Weisgard and Friends Re-Invented the American Picture Book.” Special guests will include Abby and Christina Weisgard, daughters of Leonard Weisgard, who are coming from their homes in Denmark to attend.

Leonard Marcus is a renowned author, children's book expert, and historian. He has written many highly acclaimed books about children's literature and the authors and artists who create it, including Margaret Wise Brown and Ursula Nordstrom. His lavishly illustrated Golden Legacy: How Golden Books Won Children's Hearts, Changed Publishing Forever, and Became an American Icon Along the Way was published to commemorate the 65^th anniversary of Little Golden Books. The author’s books will be available for sale and autographing courtesy of Petunia’s Place bookstore. 

Although there is no charge for admission, seating is limited and reservations are required, by calling 559.278.8116 or sending e-mail to mrianto@csufresno.edu.

“Down the Rabbit Hole with Lewis Carroll and Leonard Weisgard”

Alice and Cat
by Leonard Weisgard

The Arne Nixon Center at California State University, Fresno, will offer two coordinating exhibitions in the Henry Madden Library from September 16 - October 26, 2011. 

The second-floor Leon S. Peters Ellipse Gallery will display Lewis Carroll materials from the Arne Nixon Center’s extensive collection, including original art by Leonard Weisgard for his 1949 edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Materials on loan will include original Alice-themed art by Charles M. Schulz for his “Peanuts” comic strip (loaned by the Charles M. Schulz Museum), anamorphic Alice bronze sculptures loaned by artist Karen Mortillaro, and original art loaned by author/illustrator Byron Sewell. 

The third-floor Pete P. Peters Ellipse Balcony will showcase additional illustrations from picture books by Leonard Weisgard, on loan from his family. Leonard Weisgard won the 1947 Caldecott medal for illustration for his pictures for Golden MacDonald’s book The Little Island.  

The exhibitions, which are suitable for all ages, will be open:

• Monday to Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. 

Other viewings may be arranged by calling the Arne Nixon Center at 559.278.8116.

Visit our Facebook page for pre-exhibit sneak peek of the collection (and the unpacking process).

Spring Flurries

Koko welcomes spring at the Arne Nixon Center with some friends and flowery decorations.
We also have some spring themed books on display in one of the Center's display cases, while our other display cases are loaned out to the Henry Madden Library's Samurai Exhibit.

Library's Dean, Peter McDonald &
ANC's Curator, Angelica Carpenter,
in front of the donation

We started off spring with the excellent news that Alma Flor Ada and Isabel Campoy are donating their collection of (mostly) Spanish language children's books, from various countries, to the Arne Nixon Center.
This collection is a great addition to the Center's foreign language collection, as well as being a complement to the Center's collection of the author's papers of Alma Flor Ada.
When the donation arrived at the Center last week, we filled almost a whole wall of shelving with these wonderful books.

The Center's preparations for hosting the 9th IBBY Regional Conference "Peace the World Together With Children´s Books" on October 21-23, 2011, are also picking up speed.
The conference will feature wonderful programs and speakers, such as Pam Muñoz Ryan, Peter Sís, Grace Lin, Margarita Engle, and so much more! To register for the conference and to get more information about the schedule, click here

It's a Party to Support ANC ~ Secret Garden Party

04.19.2011 UPDATE:
Photos from this year's Secret Garden Party is available for viewing on our Facebook page. Much thanks Lisa Black, Howard Watkins and Angelica Carpenter for capturing the Party moments!
                                                                                                                                 

Original Post:
Join us this Sunday, April 10, 2011, to show your support for the Arne Nixon Center and get your tickets to attend the Arne Nixon Center Advocates' 9^th Annual Secret Garden Party.

Individual tickets are available for $50/person. Underwriters packages are still available, too. Contact Kellie at kelliew@csufresno.edu or (559) 278-5790, to reserve tickets or sign-up as an underwriter.

Follow the link to ANC website for more information about the party!

Walter R. Brooks Exhibit

In honor of the Friends of Freddy fan club gathering in Fresno, the Arne Nixon Center will exhibit books and artifacts from the library of the late Walter R. Brooks, author of the Freddy the Pig series.Brooks wrote 25 Freddy books, which were published from 1927 to 1958. He also wrote some 200 short stories for adults, 20 of them featuring Ed the Talking Horse, whose adventures formed the basis of the kitsch classic TV show of the 1960s, “Mr. Ed.”

The exhibition includes two cases of books by Brooks and a third case showcasing books illustrated by Kurt Wiese, who provided pictures for all but the first Freddy book. Two pieces of original Freddy art are also included. Wiese became well-known for his illustrations in Felix Salten’s story of Bambi. He won two Caldecott Honor medals, one in 1946 for his book, You Can Write Chinese and another in 1949 for his book, Fish in the Air. He is also the illustrator of the picture book classic, The Story about Ping by Marjorie Flack.

Planning for 2011 Programs

Save the date, and please plan to come to one (or some, or all!) of our programs this year. We have collaborated with some wonderful people and organizations, on-campus and off-campus, to offer these great programs in 2011.
So, here is a quick run-down of all the programs and exhibitions that the Arne Nixon Center is planning for the first half of this year:

• February 3: Exclusive Film Screening
  Everyone is invited to see an exclusive Central Valley film screening of The Library of the Early Mind: A Grown-Up Look at the Art of Children's Literature, on Feb. 3 at the Henry Madden Library. This event is free for the public, but space is limited to the first 100 people. To see the trailer (and 'Like' it!) and get more info on the film, click here.
  
• February 10: A Child's Garden of Verses Recital
  The public is invited to a recital of Robert Louis Stevenson’s poems set to music and performed by pianist Hatem Nadim and Fresno State vocal students from the Voice Studio of Professor Emerita Helene Joseph-Weil. This event is free for the public, the recital will start at 12:30 pm at the Henry Madden Library. For more info, click here