>>> THE ERIC CARLE MUSEUM IS FEATURING THE WORK OF CHILDREN'S
AUTHORS AND ILLUSTRATORS IN A UNIQUE WEEK AND ITS NEW EXHIBIT
TITLED NOW AND THEN, CONTEMPORARY ILLUSTRATORS AND
THEIR CHILDHOOD ART.
THE EXHIBIT TAKES YOU THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF EACH ARTIST'S
WORK FROM THEIR FIRST SPARKS OF CREATIVITY AS A CHILD TO THEIR
WORK AS AN ADULTS.
IT WAS THE IDEA OF TWO WELL-KNOWN CHILDREN'S BOOK
ARTISTS WHO LIVE IN THE PIONEER VALLEY, AND "CONNECTING POINT"'S
ROSS LIPPMAN BRINGS US THE STORY.
>> THE WAY WE OFTEN TALK ABOUT THE CARLE IS THAT THIS IS A AN
ART MUSEUM THAT REALLY WELCOMES CHILDREN.
WE KNOW FOR MANY CHILDREN THIS MIGHT BE THEIR FIRST TIME EVER
COMING TO AN ART MUSEUM, SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO MAKE
THEM FEEL LIKE THIS IS THEIR PLACE.
>> THIS IS THE NOW AND THEN EXHIBITS.
>> CONTEMPT PRIMARILY ILLUSTRATORS AND THEIR CHILDHOOD
ART.
>> THE IDEA WAS TO TAKE CONTEMPORARY ILLUSTRATORS AND
SHOW A PIECE OF THEIR CONTEMPORARY ART ALONGSIDE A
PIECE OF THEIR CHILDHOOD ART.
>> IT IS ASTOUNDING HOW EVERYONE TOOK THEIR CHILDHOOD OBSESSIONS
AND TURNED IT INTO A CAREER IN THE ARTS.
MY FIRST PUBLISHED BOOK CAME IN JUNE OF 2001, IT WAS A PICTURE
BOOK CALLED GOOD NIGHT MONKEY BOY AND THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY
SEVERAL OTHER BOOKS INCLUDING BAG HEAD AND PUNK FARM.
THEN I RECONNECTED TO WHO I WAS AS A KID, AS A CARTOONIST WHICH
WAS LARGELY -- >> MY FIRST BOOK WAS PUBLISHED
IN 1999, CALLED THE UGLY VEGETABLES AND IT'S WAS A
PICTURE BOOK.
AND I FOLLOWED UP WITH THAT PICTURE BOOK WITH MANY OTHER
PICTURE BOOKS, LIKE DIM SUN FOR EVERYONE, KITE FLYING, A LOT OF
THEM DEALT WITH ASIAN AMERICAN CULTURE.
AND I STARTED NOVELS, LIKE THE YEAR OF THE DOG AND WHERE THE
MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON, THAT WAS IN 2009, SAME TIME THAT
JARRETT MOVED INTO GRAPHIC NOVELS.
>> IN ALMOST ALL OF OUR EXHIBITIONS WE WORK HARD TO LIFT
THE CURTAIN AND SHOW THE CREATIVE PROCESS.
SO WE'LL SHOW DUMMY BOOKS THAT ARTISTS HAVE DONE, SKETCHES THAT
THEY'VE DONE, PRELIMINARY WORK THAT THEY THOUGHT WAS GOING TO
BE FINAL AND THEN THEY DECIDED IT WASN'T THE ONE THEY WANTED TO
GO WITH.
BY DOING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SAY TO PEOPLE, YES, THESE
ARTISTS ARE INCREDIBLY TALENTED, ABSOLUTELY, BUT THEY GOT THERE
BY REALLY PRACTICING THEIR CRAFT.
>> THE MUSEUM REACHED OUT TO ME AND DESCRIBED THE SHOW, AND I
WAS IMMEDIATELY VERY EXCITED.
THE IDEA OF PUTTING CHILDREN'S ARTWORK TOGETHER WITH
PROFESSIONAL ART I THINK IS FANTASTIC.
SO I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT HAD COMICS AND THEN I FOUND
THE GIANT FRIED EGG MACHINE, WHICH I THOUGHT THIS HAS TO BE
THE PIECE THAT'S IN BECAUSE IT'S COMPLETELY NUTS.
>> WHEN WE CREATED THIS EXHIBIT, DIVERSITY WAS REALLY IMPORTANT
TO BOTH OF US, NOT LIKE DIVERSITY IN GENRE, DIVERSITY IN
ART STYLES, BUT ALSO DIVERSITY IN THE ARTISTS TOO.
BECAUSE I REALLY HOPED THAT MAYBE A CHILD WILL COME IN AND
SEE SOMEBODY WHO LOOKS LIKE THEM AND SAY HEY, I CAN BE AN ARTIST
TOO.
>> THE EXHIBITION GOES A STEP FURTHER BY SHOWING THAT
CHILDHOOD ARTWORK, AND YOU HAVE THOSE SURPRISES OF LOOKING AT
SOMETHING LIKE JEFF KINNEY, WE ALL KNOW HIS WORK AS WHAT PEOPLE
LIKE TO THINK OF VERY SIMPLE, AS IF IT'S SIMPLE TO MAKE HIS
DRAWINGS, WHICH IT'S NOT.
BUT YOU SEE THE WORK HE WAS DOING AS A TEENAGER, REMARKABLY
DETAILED WORK, AND IT'S SO INTERESTING TO LOOK AT THAT
EVOLUTION, IN ORDER TO DO WHAT HE DOES NOW HE HAD TO BE ABLE TO
DO THAT AS A YOUNG MAN.
>> THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE THIS MUSEUM HERE MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE
THEY REALLY VALUE CHILDREN'S LITERATURE AND CHILDREN'S ART.
WHEN THAT IS YOUR PASSION AND CALLING, IT REALLY IS LIKE A
TRACTOR BEAM BECAUSE YOU WANT TO GO WHERE YOU KNOW THAT WHAT YOU
VALUE THE AREA VALUES AS WELL.