2021 Virtual Carle Honors Open for Registration: Auction Artists and Featured Guests Announced
This September, The Carle celebrates exceptional individuals and organizations at 15th annual awards ceremony.
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art will hold the 2021 Virtual Carle Honors on Thursday, September 23, 2021 at 7:00 pm EDT. Now in its 15th year, the annual gala and fundraiser celebrates the exceptional work that individuals and organizations have done to enrich the world of children’s books. Registration is free, and there will be opportunities to support the Museum at signup and during the event.
“We are delighted to celebrate our honorees with this virtual celebration which anyone can join from anywhere,” said Rebecca Miller Goggins, director of development at The Carle. “During the pandemic, art and books have brought hope to so many people around the world. On September 23rd we will go behind the scenes and celebrate the people who make those picture books possible.”
The 2021 Carle Honors honorees are:
Artist: Raúl Colón
Raúl Colón is an award-winning illustrator of over 30 children’s books, including Draw!; Imagine!; Susanna Reich’s José! Born to Dance; Angela’s Christmas by Frank McCourt; and Jill Biden’s Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops. Throughout his distinguished career, Colón has inspired readers and illustrators alike with his exceptional artistry, unique techniques, and powerful stories of people who never give up on their dreams.
Angel: Every Child a Reader, represented by Carl Lennertz
Every Child a Reader creates and supports programs that strive to make the reading and enjoyment of children’s books an essential part of daily life and a lifelong joy by providing free resources to all educators and parents to share with children and teens. As the not-for-profit arm of the Children’s Book Council, Every Child a Reader sponsors Children’s Book Week and the Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards and co-sponsors (with the Library of Congress Center for the Book) the National Ambassadorship for Young People’s Literature.
Mentor: Patricia Aldana:
Patricia Aldana is a renowned children’s book publisher who has devoted her career to bringing new voices to picture books. She is the founder of Groundwood Books, Past President of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), and Publisher of Aldana Libros, an imprint of Greystone Kids.
Bridge: Dennis M. V. David and Justin G. Schiller
Dennis David and Justin Schiller, founders of Battledore Ltd. boast a thirty-year career as dealers in rare and collectible children’s books. Together they have contributed pioneering scholarship in the field of children’s literature and illustration and played seminal, behind-the-scenes roles as builders of many of the field’s major research collections.
Special features
Children’s literature expert and historian Leonard S. Marcus, founder of the Carle Honors, will introduce the awards. In a special recording, The New York Times bestselling author, poet, and activist Amanda Gorman reads from her forthcoming debut picture book, Change Sings, illustrated by Loren Long. A special tribute to the Museum’s late co-founder Eric Carle will highlight art from his collection.
Carle Honors Art Auction
A key element of this crucial fundraiser for the Museum is the Carle Honors Art Auction, featuring exceptional works of art donated by 26 of the field’s most celebrated artists. This year’s auction artists are R.W. Alley, Selina Alko, Cynthia Alonso, Lisa Brown, Ashley Bryan, Eric Carle, Raúl Colón, Mike Curato, Laura Freeman, Michaela Goade, E.B. Goodale, Kiku Hughes, Gordon C. James, Julia Kuo, Arnold Lobel, Petra Mathers, Roxie Munro, Greg Pizzoli, Amber Ren, Maurice Sendak, Simms Taback, Leonard Weisgard, Rosemary Wells, Mo Willems, Dan Yaccarino, and Ed Young. The online auction will open for bidding on Friday, September 17, and will end the night of the fundraiser at 8:30 pm EDT. Everyone is invited to attend the online event and bid on the auction.
Sponsorships and Donations
All proceeds from The Carle Honors support The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and its mission to inspire a love of art and reading through picture books. Registration is free. Corporate sponsorships are available at $2,500, $5,000, and $10,000 levels. Individual sponsorships are available at $150 and $350. Additionally, memberships and donations of any size are welcome contributions at sign-up or during the event. All donations are tax-deductible, and all donors will be entered into a raffle to win gift baskets from leading event sponsors. Guests can register now at www.carlemuseum.org/carlehonors2021, or contact Rebecca Miller Goggins, director of development at 413-559-6308, or rebeccag@carlemuseum.org. The hashtag #CarleHonors2021 @CarleMuseum on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram will offer sneak previews, behind the scenes clips, and auction artworks leading up the event.
About The Museum
The mission of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, a non-profit organization in Amherst, MA, is to inspire a love of art and reading through picture books. A leading advocate in its field, The Carle collects, preserves, presents, and celebrates picture books and picture-book illustrations from around the world. In addition to underscoring the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of picture books and their art form, The Carle offers educational programs that provide a foundation for arts integration and literacy.
The late Eric and Barbara Carle co-founded the Museum in November 2002. Carle was the renowned author and illustrator of more than 70 books, including the 1969 classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Since opening, the 43,000-square foot facility has served more than 750,000 visitors, including 50,000 schoolchildren. The Carle houses more than 11,000 objects, including 7,300 permanent collection illustrations. The Carle has three art galleries, an art studio, a theater, picture book and scholarly libraries, and educational programs for families, scholars, educators, and schoolchildren. Bobbie’s Meadow is an outdoor space that combines art and nature. Educational offerings include professional training for educators around the country and Master’s degree programs in children’s literature with Simmons University.
The Museum also offers digital resources, including art activities, book recommendations, collections videos, and professional development and workshops for online visitors. Learn more at www.carlemuseum.org and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @CarleMuseum.
For media inquiries, additional press information and photo requests, please contact: Gillian Linden at Gillian@rosengrouppr.com /703-402-6507 or Sandy Soderberg at SandyS@carlemuseum.org /413-559-6315.