Art Exhibition / Curator *Barbara Wing* Interview

LAST WEEK! "Ordinary into Extraordinary" is up until June 13 at Brooklyn Central Library 10 Grand Army Plaza.

CONTEST Win a FREE Autographed Copy of MERMAIDS ON PARADE!


I met BPL curator Barbara Wing in April 2008 at the Dweck Auditorium. She had been sitting in the audience for my program. Afterwards, she asked that I write a proposal for an exhibition of my picture book art. The rest is history.

Q: Why is it important to show original picture book art at Brooklyn Central Library?

BW: The main reason to show original picture book art is to share the illustrators’ original artwork with children and adults, before it is printed into an actual book. Children can view wonderful art that is vibrant, exciting, full of color and form, and hopefully imaginations will be stirred by the artists’ illustrations which relate to children’s everyday experiences and fantasies.

We are fortunate to have so many terrific children’s picture book illustrators living and working in Brooklyn to provide us with a rich reading and art experience.

Q: How do you choose the picture book artists?

BW: The library has an exhibitions committee that decides upon which picture book illustrator will have an exhibition. The committee includes artists, teachers, librarians, gallery owners and specialists from the library’s programs & exhibitions department.

Q: What does a curator do?

BW: A curator usually selects the artwork of a guest artist, especially at a gallery, museum, library or other place of exhibition. Part of the curator’s responsibility is to look after the artwork and to take good care of it. Frequently, the curator will have a theme or topic in mind, and both the curator and artist will work together to determine how the artist’s art will be featured, organized and displayed.

Q: If you had a mermaid name, what would it be?

BW: I’ve always liked the name, KAI (pronounced kye and rhymes with sky). It is of Hawaiian origin and its meaning is “the sea.”

Thanks for making the experience such a pleasure, Barbara!

Photo: Herb Hernandez

Association of Booksellers for Children Visits Melanie's Exhibition at the Brooklyn Central Library

The Executive Director of the Association of Booksellers for Children, Kristen McLean, was kind enough to visit my exhibition while she’s in town for Book Expo America. We slowly toured the 28 display showcases filled with original art from my picture books and chatted in the beautiful plaza in front of the library.

Kristen will host the Not-a-Dinner and (Mostly) Silent Auction, ABC’s gala event for the BEA, this Friday evening May 29 at the Brooklyn Marriott. The auction features original children’s book illustration and comic work by some of the most well known illustrators in children’s publishing.

ABC's Kristen McLean by the golden pillars of Brooklyn Central Library.


See this original illustration from AUNT LILLY’S LAUNDROMAT, a picture book I wrote and illustrated now on exhibition in "Ordinary into Extraordinary", at the Brooklyn Central Library *Youth Wing* 10 Grand Army Plaza until June 13, 2009. It's FREE!

I got the idea for AUNT LILLY’S LAUNDROMANT while doing laundry at the Ideal Laundromat on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights. I discovered the owner, Mr Chen fast sleep in his chair. I wrote a story of an immigrant who must adjust to a new environment; the hard working backbone of a community, sometimes overlooked. I chose a Haitian main character because I love the colorful, vibrant, spiritual, and multi-patterned art of Haiti.

Image: Detail from AUNT LILLY'S LAUNDROMAT.
Copyright Melanie Hope Greenberg

The Dweck is Gweat!

On May 19, 2009 I presented a power point program about the creation of my picture book, MERMAIDS ON PARADE, for some delightful second graders at the Dweck Auditorium in the Brooklyn Central Library.

The program celebrated my exhibition "Ordinary into Extraordinary" that is FREE to the public until June 13, 2009.

Afterwards, the students went upstairs to see the exhibition.


Schools expert, Joyce Szuflita, from NYC School Help, was my invited guest.
Here's her recap of my program on her blog, My Side Walk Chalk.

Picture Book Art

You can see this original illustration from a picture book called,
ON MY STREET by Eve Merriam, in "Ordinary into Extraordinary" at the Brooklyn Central Library *Youth Wing* 10 Grand Army Plaza until June 13, 2009. It's FREE!

I never met poet Eve Merriam, but believe we'd be friends. Many authors and illustrators work on the same book project but never meet. I'm so fortunate to know many of my wonderful authors. Anne Rockwell, Miriam Cohen, Norman Rosten, and Olga Litowinsky all requested that I illustrate their books. That is rare. I am forever grateful to them. This book is dedicated to my beautiful neighborhood, Brooklyn Heights.


Image: From ON MY STREET. Copyright Melanie Hope Greenberg

Melanie's Library Exhibition / TV Interview

TIME OUT NEW YORK mentions my current Brooklyn Central Library Exhibition:
“Illustrator Melanie Hope Greenberg captures the magic of New York City in the simple yet evocative drawings that can be found in her children’s books including ‘Mermaids on Parade’ and ‘A City Is’ “ - Issue 710, pg 57

All the BPL artists were filmed by Brooklyn Cable Access Television for the ELEANOR TV show. The interviews air on Sat May 9 @ 9:30AM
Ch 67 (cablevision),
Ch. 34 (Time Warner)
Ch 82 (RCN)
Ch 42.
Airing is scheduled in Queens on QPTV
Fri May 15th @ 12:30pm Ch 34
Sun May 17th @ 3 pm Ch 56.

You can see this original illustration from DOWN IN THE SUBWAY in "Ordinary into Extraordinary" at the Brooklyn Central Library *Youth Wing* 10 Grand Army Plaza until June 13, 2009. FREE to the public.

DOWN IN THE SUBWAY was chosen "New York Times Great Read" in 2008. Author Miram Cohen personally chose me to illustrate her “subway ride to nowhere”. Miriam and I met through Learning Leaders in 1993, traveling to give author visits at PS 59 in the Bronx. We both saw white doves in our gardens in Queens and in Brooklyn. Around the same time, Miriam mentioned a manuscript written for her Jamaican friend Gladys, who had recently passed away. I painted Gladys (The Island Lady) as Mother Nature who gifts the hot subway riders with the four elements of air, water, earth and fire from out of her colorful bag. Miriam has always been a wonderful friend and guide in my career and life.



All Art is copyrighted 1998 by Melanie Hope Greenberg.

Picture Book Art

You can see this original illustration at the Brooklyn Central Library Youth Wing 10 Grand Army Plaza until June 13, 2009. FREE to the public.

The illustration is from A CITY IS, a collection of poems by Brooklyn's first poet laureate, Norman Rosten, published by Henry Holt and Company in 2004. I painted my truth having grown up in New York City absorbing it's colors and shapes; it felt great to release the vibrant energy, to paint my most cherished city with some new colors. Norman Rosten was also from Brooklyn, he lived right across the street from me. A great person to be encouraged by. His poems taught me to aim for the best in my art and with my visions.



Image: Copyright 2004 Melanie Hope Greenberg

Melanie's Art Exhibition / FREE and Open to the Public

"ORDINARY INTO EXTRAORDINARY" my exhibition at Brooklyn Central Library Youth Wing is offically open to the public until June 13, 2009.



Blog links to my exhibition:
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS BLOG
FOUND IN BROOKLYN
HMHNYC
MOMTRENDS
PAT CUMMINGS BLOG
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL FUSE#8
URBAN BABY

Brooklyn Central Library had a VIP reception with all the artists and curators in the exhbition. BCAT came to film us.

I gave a short speech. Gulp!


Barbara Wing, curator of my exhibition.


Sabine Aronowsky and blogger Lisannne McT came to celebrate.


Hope you will stop by the exhibition next time you go to the library.
It’s FREE!
See the installation of "Ordinary into Extraordinary".

Photos: Herb Hernandez, HMHNYC

Melanie's Art Exhibition * Brooklyn Central Library * So Grand

I installed my exhibition "ORDINARY INTO EXTRAORDINARY" in 28 showcase displays at Brooklyn Central Library Youth Wing, Grand Army Plaza. I am so honored.

My exhibition is from April 7 through June 13, 2009 and celebrates 20 years of being a published picture book author and illustrator. Original illustrations from seven of my picture books will portray New York City's urban communities. I also display examples of my picture book process.


BPL librarian and angel, Michael Santangelo adds sparkle to the showcases and helped with the installation.

Here I am installing original illustrations from MERMAIDS ON PARADE.


Job well done.



Curator Barbara Wing by the golden feet at the library's fabulous front entrance. Always a joy to work with, Barbara's good energy made the exhibition so much fun to create.