Children’s Book Art Auction Adds 14 Illustrators, Calls for Volunteers

Artwork by more than 125 artists and illustrators will be up for bidding at the May 26 ABFE Art Auction to Benefit Free Speech in Children’s Books, held in conjunction with BookExpo America 2015. The previously announced list of 112 contributors to the auction grew by 14 this week with artworks donated by:

• Cece Bell
• Ruth Chan
• Ben Clanton
• Daine deGroat
• Brian Floca
• Kristine Lombardi
• Nikki McClure
• Patrick McDonnell
• John Montroll
• LeUyen Pham
• Annie Raulerson 
• Dan Santat
• Frank Viva
• William Wegman

This year’s auction honoree is Judy Blume and a number of specially created tributes to the author will also be up for bidding.

The auction is sponsored by Random House Children’s Books.

Tickets for the event, to be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26, at the Grand Hyatt New York, located at 42nd Street and Grand Central Terminal, are on sale now.  Tickets are $105; $10 for ABA member booksellers; and free for ABC Group member booksellers. A special student ticket is available for $25.

Proceeds will support the American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE) and its defense of free speech for kids, including the Kids’ Right to Read Project (co-sponsored by the National Coalition Against Censorship) and Banned Books Week, the only national celebration of the freedom to read.

ABFE is seeking volunteers from the bookselling and publishing world to help out at the auction. Help is needed setting up the art, checking people in, distributing programs, selling raffle tickets, checking guests out, and cleaning up. Volunteers are needed throughout the day, and all will receive free admission to the auction and be given time to partake of the refreshments.  Anyone interested in volunteering should contact auction manager Inessa Spencer for more information.