Auctions | September 7, 2016

The Eric Carle Museum Launches 2016 Carle Honors Art Auction

New York, NY (September 5, 2016) - Art lovers and picture book enthusiasts are in for a treat when The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art launches its eighth annual Carle Honors Art Auction, a key component of its annual benefit gala. The online auction will launch on Wednesday, September 7 and will close at the gala on Wednesday September 28 at 9:00 pm sharp. Bidding is open to all interested parties - winners need not be present at the Gala. Interested bidders worldwide can register now and begin placing bids online on September 7. All proceeds from the auction support the mission of The Carle to inspire a love of art and reading through picture books.

This year’s exceptional selection has been generously provided by 23 of the industry’s most distinguished artists, including Sophie Blackall, Ashley Bryan, John Burningham, Eric Carle, Lulu Delacre, Ying-Hwa Hu, Steven Kellogg, Jarrett Krosoczka, Grace Lin, David Macaulay, Will Moses, S.D. Nelson, Frank Remkiewicz, Allen Say, Peter Sis, Hervé Tullet, Chris Van Allsburg, Cornelius Van Wright, Rosemary Wells and Mo Willems. Artwork by the late Ezra Jack Keats, Robert McCloskey, and Leonard Weisgard have been donated by families of the artists and friends of The Carle.

Many artists created original works specifically for the event and others pulled from their personal archive to contribute works to benefit The Carle. Sophie Blackall, 2016 Caldecott Medalist, created an original piece in honor of her editor Regina Hayes, the recipient of the 2016 Carle Honors Mentor award, while Mo Willems dressed his famous Pigeon to take on the role of “Hamilton.” The 2016 Carle Honors Artist Allen Say donated a rare auction entry from his 1981 book The Bicycle Man and, in a nod to the 50th anniversary of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, Eric Carle has donated a collage of a brown bear. Prior to the event, all artwork will be on display at Books of Wonder (18 West 18th Street, NYC) from September 7 through September 27.

“The Carle Honors Art Auction is a terrific opportunity to showcase the talent of renowned picture book artists, many of whom have direct ties to The Eric Carle Museum and to this year’s esteemed honorees,” said Ellen Keiter, Chief Curator at The Carle. “We are thrilled to share the chance for anyone to own a piece of original art for their home, their child’s room, or as a special gift, knowing that their purchase helps support art and literacy.”

The Carle Honors annual benefit gala recognizes individuals and organizations for their creative vision and long-term dedication to the world of picture books. Hosted by Museum co-founder Eric Carle and presented by Gregory Maguire, The New York Times bestselling author of Wicked, the 2016 Carle Honors will be awarded to:

Artist: Allen Say - award-winning children’s book artist and Caldecott Medalist trained in both Japanese and Western styles of art

Angel: Lee & Low Books, represented by Jason Low - the largest multicultural children’s book publisher in the United States

Mentor, Regina Hayes - publisher for 30 years and now editor-at-large at Viking Children’s Books; and

Bridge, Steven Heller - co-chair of the School of Visual Arts MFA Design/Designer as Author + Entrepreneur program and co-author of over 170 books on design.

To purchase tickets or a sponsorship for the Gala, please visit the event web site or contact Rebecca Miller Goggins, Director of Development, at rebeccag@carlemuseum.org or 413-559-6308.