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- Detail of artwork by Salley Mavor
Children's book illustrators belong to a special cadre of artists: Their pictures make stories come alive, giving shape to lifelong memories. But little listeners and readers might not realize those magical images are works of art, or think about the people who created them, until years later.
In concurrent exhibitions, the Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester showcases two beloved children's artists: Ashley Bryan and Salley Mavor.
"Ashley Bryan: The Spirit of Joy" presents some of his paintings and a cavalcade of toys, puppets and other objects borrowed from his studio in Maine. The late writer, illustrator and humanitarian was born in New York City in 1923 and first began to draw and make books in kindergarten, he explains in a video on the Ashley Bryan Center website. He died last year at 98.
Bryan centered most of his stories on African American experiences, using the evocative cadences of folktales, Black spirituals and poetry. The video makes clear that he promoted children's agency in unloosing their imaginations.
Bryan wrote for adult audiences, too: His memoir Infinite Hope: A Black Artist's Journey From World War II to Peace chronicles his time serving in the segregated U.S. Army. But Bryan is best known for his extensive, decades-long work for and with children and for helping populate the genre with other Black artists and writers.
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- Painting by Ashley Bryan
"The Wee Worlds of Salley Mavor" presents an altogether different approach to art and storytelling. The Falmouth, Mass.-based artist creates sculptural characters and scenes using needle and thread. Some of her hand-stitched creations are photographed for illustrations in children's books, as well as in stop-motion animation and jigsaw puzzles. Mavor's stunning needlework is richly designed, filled with whimsical figures and botanica. She even embroiders her signature.
"I am interested in universal, playful narratives that address social and cultural issues," Mavor writes on her website. "My objective is to transcend the fiber medium by and of itself and make art that is valued for its message and emotional resonance as well as its workmanship."
Mavor's exhibition at Southern Vermont Arts Center displays more than 75 of her bas-relief works and tiny figures — on the wall, in shadow boxes and a dollhouse — and scenes from her latest book, My Bed: Enchanting Ways to Fall Asleep Around the World.
Both exhibitions surely inspire visitors of all ages not to nap but to play — and read.