112 Artists Donate Works to 21st Children’s Book Art Auction & Reception

To date, 112 artists and illustrators have donated artwork for the 21st Annual Children’s Book Art Auction and Reception, to be held in conjunction with BookExpo America 2015, and that number is expected to grow. Among the pieces up for bidding will be special works created in tribute to bestselling author Judy Blume, who is this year’s honoree for her groundbreaking books, which opened children’s literature to the discussion of problems that kids and teens grapple with every day.

This year’s event will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening, May 26, in the Manhattan Ballroom of the Grand Hyatt New York (Hotel ABA), located at 42nd Street and Grand Central Terminal.

Tickets for the Children’s Art Auction & Reception are on sale now: General admission is $105, and tickets for ABA member booksellers are $10. Bookseller members of the ABC Children’s Group at ABA are admitted for free, but registration is required. Newly added is a special $25 student ticket; students must be over 21 and have a valid student ID to show at the door. Student tickets are limited to one per person.

Artists and illustrators who have contributed artwork to next month’s auction include:

• Jon Agee
• Selina Alko
• Airlie Anderson
• Bob Barner
• Sophie Blackall
• Alexandra Boiger
• Rosalinde Bonnet
• Ruth Bornstein
• Lisa Brown
• Nick Bruel
• You Byun
• Florencia Capella
• Eric Carle
• Monica Carnesi
• Lauren Castillo
• Rebecca Chaperon
• Matthew Cordell
• Nina Crews
• Mike Curato
• Farel Dalrymple
• Madonna Davidoff
• Alix Delinois
• Kris Di Giacomo
• Barbara DiLorenzo
• Tracy Dockray
• Angela Dominguez
• Rohan Eason
• Lori Eslick
• Gilbert Ford
• Matt Forsythe
• Maria Gabriella Gasparri
• Nathan Gassman
• Robin Preiss Glasser
• Raul Gonzalez
• Melanie Hope Greenberg
• Eleanor Grosch
• Melissa Guion
• Abigial Halpin
• Jessie Hartland
• Kellen Hatanaka
• Ben Hatke
• Maggie Heinze
• Tad Hills
• Gareth Hinds
• Brooke Boynton Hughes
• Jorey Hurley
• Molly Schaar Idle
• Melissa Iwai
• Carmen Julia
• Maira Kalman
• G. Brian Karas
• Patricia Keeler
• MaryJo Koeck
• Jarrett J. Krosoczka
• Renee Kurilla
• Marie Lafrance
• Barbara Lehman
• Ted and Betsy Lewin
• Kelly Light
• Steve Light
• Stephen Macquignon
• Emily McCully
• Jill McDonald
• Donna Miskend
• Chris Monroe
• Yuyi Morales
• Sal Murdocca
• Bethanie Murguia
• Jon J  Muth
• Fereshteh Najafi
• Debbie Ridpath Ohi
• Zachariah Ohora
• Elise Parsley
• Leslie Patricelli
• Beth Peck
• Matt Phelan
• Courtney Pippin-Mathur
• Greg Pizzoli
• Antoinette Portis
• Giselle Potter
• Sean Qualls
• Anna Raff
• Chris Raschka
• Sujean Rim
• John Rocco
• Susan Roth
• Stephanie Ruble
• Marisabina Russo
• Judy Schachner
• Ian Schoenherr
• Bob Shea
• Kristin Sorra
• Alenka Sottler
• Bob Staake
• Elizabeth Rose Stanton
• David Ezra Stein
• Naoko Stoop
• Laura Stringer
• Manuel Sumberac
• Kristina Swarner
• Melissa Tan
• Matt Tavares
• Britta Teckentrup
• Jennifer Thermes
• Katherine Tillotson
• Dasha Tolstikova
• Mara Van Fleet
• Matthew Van Fleet
• Rosemary Wells
• Wallace West
• JooHee Yoon
• Tim Young

Artists and illustrators who are interested in joining them by donating anything from a sketch to a finished piece can find out more from this letter and auction FAQ. The deadline for submitting art is May 1. However, artists who are creating special pieces honoring Blume have until May 15. A donation form is available here.

Donating artists are invited to attend the auction for free; they can register by e-mailing auction manager Inessa Spencer.

The auction is sponsored by ABFE, the ABC Children’s Group at ABA, and Random House Children’s Books (RHCB).

Auction proceeds will support ABFE’s defense of the free speech rights of kids, including the Kids’ Right to Read Project and Banned Books Week.