Tarble displays children's books
Doug T. Graham/Staff Reporter
Issue date: 1/14/10 Section: News
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The exhibit features work from 30 children's books spanning the last half-century.
Works like the Richard Cowdrey illustrated "Frosty the Snowman" share the exhibit with recent works like "Curse in Reverse," illustrated by Dirk Zimmer and published in 2006.
All the illustrations come from a collection owned by Mariann Dana Younger, an Eastern alumni who graduated in 1954 and went on to become a teacher.
In 2008, Younger was awarded an honorary fine arts doctorate degree by the University of Findlay for more than 17 years of work with the University's Mazza Museum of International Art from Picture Books. The Mazza Museum was established in 1982 and has more than 3,000 original illustrations.
In her time volunteering at the Mazza Museum, which recently exhibited a portion of Younger's own collection of children's books, she was the head of the board of directors for Mazza Enthusiasts, a volunteering organization.
Michael Watts, director of the Tarble Arts Center, said he was introduced to Younger and her husband, Charles, by a colleague and over the course of time they built a relationship based on mutual interests.
About a year ago Charles asked Watts if they wanted to do an exhibition. Watts accepted because it valued Tarble in many ways. Not only was children's book illustration an area of the visual arts that has not been presented for a number of years, but it also served as a way to recognize an Eastern alumna for her efforts in promoting children's literacy and the arts as a volunteer and as a donor.
"(The exhibit) served as the catalyst for the Tarble to work with the early childhood, elementary and middle level education department and other EIU offices to develop an educational outreach program the served both Sullivan Elementary School fourth-graders and EIU students, and in so doing also encouraged or supported an interest in reading and the arts among the school students involved," Watts said in an e-mail.
He said he hopes to do a similar program with another school before the exhibition closes.
The exhibition is being held in Tarble's eGallery, a space Watts said has been used for more modern works in the past, but is well suited for the exhibit because of its flexibility.
The Children's Book Illustrations exhibit from the Mariann Younger Collection is available for viewing from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m to 4 p.m. Saturday, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission to the exhibit is free.
Doug T. Graham can be reached at 581-7942 or dtgraham@eiu.edu
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