William Steig has always been one of my favorite children’s authors, not to mention gag cartoonists. So imagine my delight upon finding that the Jewish Museum in New York is presenting an exhibit of his work:
From November 4, 2007 through March 16, 2008, The Jewish Museum will present From The New Yorker to Shrek: The Art of William Steig, the first major exhibition of the artist’s work. Marking the centennial of Steig’s birth, the exhibition will offer a rare opportunity to view over 190 original drawings, many of which have never before been on display. Museum visitors will discover art ranging from classic cartoons to psychologically charged pen-and-ink drawings, from Picassoesque portraits to geometric figure studies, and from delicately rendered sketches to vibrant watercolors. In addition, the exhibition will include several of the artist’s notebooks and sketchbooks, letters, and Steig’s preparatory dummies for children’s books. Some of the character studies and models created by animators at DreamWorks, the studio that produced the Shrek movies, will also be on view. Following its New York showing, the exhibition will travel to The Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA (June 8 – September 7, 2008) and one other venue.
