The Bologna Children’s Book Fair is proud to host, for the second year in a row, select pieces from “The Original Art,” an annual exhibit that showcases illustrations from the year’s best children’s books published in the United States. For illustrators, the show is a unique opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for the art they create. For editors and art directors, it’s a treasure trove of talent to discover and draw upon. For art students, it’s a means of examining—up close—the work of the best in the field. And for the public, it’s a chance to appreciate the enormous range of imagination, innovation, and visual storytelling offered in children’s books.
The Bologna Children’s Book Fair is proud to host, for the second year in a row, select pieces from “The Original Art,” an annual exhibit that showcases illustrations from the year’s best children’s books published in the United States. For illustrators, the show is a unique opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for the art they create. For editors and art directors, it’s a treasure trove of talent to discover and draw upon. For art students, it’s a means of examining—up close—the work of the best in the field. And for the public, it’s a chance to appreciate the enormous range of imagination, innovation, and visual storytelling offered in children’s books.
Founded by painter, art director, and artists’ representative Dilys Evans, “The Original Art” was first exhibited in 1980 at the Master Eagle Gallery, a space offered by a graphics services company in New York City. Then in 1990, the show found its permanent home at the Museum of Illustration at the Society of Illustrators in New York City, where it continues to thrive and expand its audience and programs.
Each year, books are selected for “The Original Art” by a jury of outstanding children’s book illustrators, art directors, and editors, and each year, the show honors exceptional children’s book artists in several categories. This year’s Gold Medal was awarded to Beatrice Alemagna for Pepper & Me (Astra Publishing House). It’s her second gold medal from The Society of Illustrators, and in 2022, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair honored her with the “Extraordinary Award for an Extraordinary Artist”. Silver Medals were awarded to Lian Cho for Pig Town Party (HarperCollins Publishers) and Júlia Sardà for Godfather Death (Penguin Random House). The Dilys Evans Founder’s Award, which honors the year’s most promising new talent whose work has been juried into the show, was won by Celia Jacobs for The Circuit (HarperCollins Publishers).
Each year, “The Original Art” also celebrates two illustrators with Lifetime Achievement Awards. This year’s winners are Fred Marcellino, recipient of a Caldecott Honor and many other awards, and Lisbeth Zwerger, recipient of the Hans Christian Andersen medal and several Bologna Children’s Book Fair honors.
On display in this exhibit are 52 marvelous and memorable pieces from the Society’s 2024 show.
The Society of Illustrators, founded in 1901, is the oldest nonprofit organization in the United States dedicated to the art of illustration. Located on New York’s Upper East Side, the Society invites visitors to explore its historic Museum of Illustration, which features rotating exhibitions, a permanent collection, and engaging events throughout the year.
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