The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art Celebrates Literary Leaders at 16th Annual Carle Honors
On Thursday, September 29, 2022, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art lauded five leaders in the field of children’s literature at the 16th annual Carle Honors. The gala was held at Guastavino’s in New York City for the first time since 2019 and included a virtual component for viewers to enjoy a portion of The Carle Honors at home. The annual gala and art auction recognizes publishing’s most impactful individuals and organizations for their role in enriching the world of children’s literature—while raising much needed funds supporting the Museum’s mission to inspire a love of art and reading through picture books. The 16th Annual Carle Honors raised over $250,000 in funds for the Museum and its programming and exhibitions. Co-chaired by Suzanne Collins and husband, Cap Pryor, the 2022 Carle Honors were awarded to:
- Faith Ringgold, Artist, painter, mixed media sculptor, teacher, lecturer, and author of numerous award-winning children’s books, including her first children’s book, Tar Beach, the inspiration behind the 2022 Carle Honors theme.
- Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Angel, represented by Jeff Conyers, which inspires a lifelong love of books and learning by mailing specially selected books to the homes of registered children, from birth to age 5, each month.
- Ajia (阿甲), Bridge, one of China’s foremost translators of Western children’s books and an influential storyteller, author, and educator.
- Wade and Cheryl Hudson, Mentor, authors, publishers, and leading advocates for equity, diversity, and inclusion in the children’s book industry.
The presentation also recognized special guests:
- H. Nichols B. Clark, Carle Museum Founding Director and Curator Emeritus
- Bryan Collier, Award-winning artist and Carle Trustee
- Leonard S. Marcus, Founder of The Carle Honors
- Raúl Colón, Carle Honors 2021 Artist Honoree
- Carl Lennertz, Carle Honors 2021 Angel Honoree
- Patricia Aldana, Carle Honors 2021 Mentor Honoree
“The Carle Honors aims to showcase the positive and expansive impact that picture books have across the globe,” said Rebecca Miller Goggins, director of development at The Carle. “We were thrilled to celebrate each of our remarkable honorees for their work in making the world of children’s books more accessible, diverse, and endlessly rich and imaginative. This year marked our first hybrid fundraiser and first time back in person since 2019. We thank everyone for their support of this gala and the honorees. We are already looking forward to our next celebration!”
The evening’s festivities began with a cocktail reception where more than 250 guests had the opportunity to mingle with the award winners, auction artists, and special guests. Gathered for the presentation, guests listened to compelling stories from the Museum, were riveted by the honoree interview videos and acceptance speeches, and captivated by musical performances by Farrell and Betsy Hutchinson, and a surprise puppet appearance from Rockefeller Productions.
Throughout the evening, guests bid on the 30 pieces of artwork included in the Carle Honors Art Auction. After dinner and dessert, the auction closed at 9:00 pm sharp, raising $69,625 for The Carle. The top-selling pieces were Cat Contemplating Moon by Chris Van Allsburg, Daniel Gets Ready by Micha Archer and He Whistled All the Way Home by Ezra Jack Keats. This year’s selections were by some of the field’s most distinguished artists: Jon Agee, Micha Archer, Vanessa Brantley-Newton, Eric Carle, Nancy Devard, George Ford, Ekua Holmes, Ying-Hwa Hu and Cornelius Van Wright, Molly Idle, Ezra Jack Keats, Thao Lam, Steve Light, Corinna Luyken, Barbara McClintock, David McPhail, Wendell Minor, Amber Ren, Faith Ringgold, Susan L. Roth, Maurice Sendak, Melissa Sweet, Simms Taback, Chris Van Allsburg, Eric Velasquez, Bernard Waber, Leonard Weisgard, Mo Willems, Taeeun Yoo, Ed Young, and Elizabeth Zunon. The artwork was donated by the artists, their families, or generous donors and friends of The Carle.
The Carle is grateful to the following corporate Premier Patron sponsors for this year’s event: Anonymous, Disney Publishing Group, HarperCollins Children’s Books, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Nickelodeon, Penguin Young Readers, Random House Children’s Books, and Scholastic, Incorporated.
Selects from the 16th annual Carle Honors are available. For more information about the Carle Honors or the Carle Honors Art Auction, please contact Rebecca Miller Goggins, Director of Development, at rebeccag@carlemuseum.org or 413-559-6308.
About The Museum
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is the international champion for picture books. We collect, preserve, and exhibit original illustrations, encourage guests of all ages to read and create art, and foster an ever-growing audience passionate about children’s literature.
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 nearly a million visitors, including 50,000 schoolchildren. The Carle houses more than 11,000 objects, including 9,000 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 offers digital resources, including art activities, book recommendations, collections videos, and professional development workshops for online visitors. Learn more at www.carlemuseum.org and on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, 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