Austin SCBWI

lllustration by Richard Jesse Watson for "Tom Thumb" is part of the "Golden Kite Golden Dreams" exhibition of original children's book artwork at the NCCIL

Representatives from SCBWI chapters in Austin, Houston, North Texas, San Antonio and Brazos Valley joined illustrators, author-illustrators and SCBWI national board members at the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature NCIC this past weekend. The occasion was “Golden Kite Golden Dreams” an essemblage of  original art from the Golden Kite Award winning books of the past 36 years. The Golden Kite Awards are given in four categories — fiction, Nonfiction, Picture book Text and Picture book Illustration.  It’s significant that this first retrospective of Golden Kite Medal and Honor winners ever put together is an art show.  Here are 75 pieces by 47 artists, curated by illustrator and SCBWI board member David Diaz (who will be our  illustration keynoter in our Austin SCBWI 2011 regional conference.)

It’s hard to explain the magic of being inches away from an original watercolor by Uri Shulevitz , the late Trina Schart Hyman or Jerry Pinkney.

SCBWI founders Steve Mooser and Lin Oliver (and the president and executive director, respectively)  told the story of the first days of this organization that now has 22,000 members in 100 regions around the world. They literally knocked on  doors of the country’s top children’s authors to round up board members — and presenters for the first conference (in 1971.) “We picked the kite as our logo for the contest,  because Jane Yolen’s father was an expert kite flier,” Oliver said.  The first Golden Kite Medal winner? Bette Greene for  Summer of My German Soldier.

“For many, children’s books are the first exposure to literature and art and philosophy and what it is to be human,” Mooser said.

“One of the things we want to show is how complex an art this is,” said Oliver, speaking of children’s book illustration in general and in particular of the original watercolor, gouache, tempera, acrylic , papercut and ink illustrations that will be touring  the country after the exhibit’s weeks in Abilene — from San Francisco to Washington D.C.

Along with Oliver, Mooser, NCCIL staffers and the Texas SCBWI contingent, the group included author Illustrators Pat Cummings, Diane Stanley (a native of Abilene), Priscilla Burris (SCBWI National Illustrator Coordinator),  Richard Jesse Watson, Larry Day, and Kristen Balouch.

Art Director and VP at Penguin Young Readers Group, where she oversees two imprints G. P. Putnam’s Sons and Philomel Books, Cecilia Yung. The last three artists named artists have work in the exhibit. Burris, Cummings, Diaz and Yung  serve on the SCBWI Board of Advisers.

Saturday’s events wound up in an appropriately rugged, rustic Texas hill country setting — the Perini Ranch Steakhouse in Buffalo Gap, 30 miles outside of Abilene.

Things learned over the weekend: Steve Mooser is a Western Art enthusiast. Lin Oliver is a Larry McMurtry,  J. Frank Dobie and Molly Ivins  fan and she’s hung out at Scholz’s Garten. The NCCIL was established in 1997. William Joyce did not create the statue outside the Center but his book Santa Calls inspired it.
The Golden Kite – Golden Dreams is a knockout  exhibit that will turn heads and raise awareness in the fine art of children’s book illustration when it tours the country.

Golden Kite honor illustrator Kristen Balouch of Brooklyn and another young Illustrator collaborate on a drawing

SCBWI executive director Lin Oliver and president Steve Mooser show off the first mimeographed SCBWI builletins. They started the organization together in 1971.

SCBWI founders Lin Oliver and Steve Moose reflect on the beginnings of the SCBWI and the Golden Kite Awards

National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature in Abilene, Texas

The hunter from "Little Red Riding Hood" Golden Kite Medal winner, watercolor spread by illustrator-author Trina Schart Hyman