Kazuo Iwamura, Illustration for Where Are You Going? To See My Friend! by Eric Carle and Kazuo Iwamura (Orchard Books). Collection of the Iwamura Kazuo ehon-no-oka art museum. © 2001 Kazuo Iwamura.
The Power of Picture Books
For two decades, The Carle has been a thriving center for art and books. They bring meaning to our lives and are essential to a flourishing society. Our donors are a special community who understand that deeply.
“…Picture books have the power to join people together,” says the great Japanese illustrator Kazuo Iwamura, whose work is featured in our galleries this spring, “no matter where they are from or what language they speak.”
Picture book art is for children, adults, families—humans. Your financial support allows visitors from all over the world to find beauty and grace at the Museum. They discover art and books that lift their spirits and renew their energy. They meet artists and authors and leave dreaming about the stories they, too, want to tell.
We were drawn to this work by the late Eric and Barbara Carle, who were the first to recognize the need for a museum devoted to picture book art in the US. They were visionaries, and they worked tirelessly to make the Museum a reality. The two of us have had the privilege of leading The Carle through a long period of tremendous growth. For the Museum to reach its potential, we knew it would require a first-rate staff and board, a lot of sweat equity, and dedicated supporters like you—and it has. And what results!
The Carle has been a major influence in the museum field, touring exhibitions so millions of museumgoers across the globe can experience the joys of picture book art. It has become a dedicated champion for children’s literacy, demonstrating all the ways that picture books cultivate creativity and artistic expression and spark readers’ interest in the world around them.
Today the Museum’s leadership team is more passionate than ever about helping to carry on Eric and Bobbie’s legacy. We hope you will join us by donating to our annual appeal to ensure The Carle will continue to make a huge impact.
- We will continue to grow the Museum’s presence internationally, bringing more picture book exhibitions and educational programs to more countries, more families, and more schoolchildren.
- We will provide professional development virtually so educators everywhere can put art and reading at the center of their classrooms and libraries.
- We will continue to digitize our collection, comprised of more than 9,000 illustrations, so one day it can be searchable for anyone studying—or curious about!—the history of children’s literature and illustration.
- We will continue to create the inspiring experiences at the Museum that you have come to expect from us—exhibitions that reflect the breadth of picture book artistry and programs that introduce us to new voices and perspectives.
The Carle has a way of stealing hearts. We hope we captured yours today. Please continue your support of our work and make an investment in a future full of creativity, hope, and promise through picture books. Our fiscal year ends on June 30th.
