CORNWALL, Conn.—The Cornwall Library will host “Wendell Minor: American Stories,” an exhibition of book jackets, original watercolor paintings and related drawings by award-winning illustrator Wendell Minor, Nov. 22–Jan. 11.
The exhibition is curated by Stephanie Plunkett, chief curator at the Norman Rockwell Museum.
An artist’s reception will be held Saturday, Nov. 22, 5–7 p.m., at the Cornwall Library, 30 Pine St. Registration is requested for the reception.
Minor has created almost every jacket for books by Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough, as well as works by Jean Craighead George, Robert Burleigh, Pat Conroy, Larry McMurtry, and many others.
The exhibition will also feature a selection of Minor’s original watercolor paintings for children’s books, including “Pumpkin Heads”; “Cat, What Is That?”; “Buzz Aldrin: Reaching for the Moon”; “Everglades,” and “The Last Train.”
Wendell Minor drew his way through childhood in Aurora, Ill., inspired by America’s heartland and the richly illustrated magazines that were so much a part of life at that time, such as nature-themed favorites like Outdoor Life and Field & Stream. He also studied the vastly popular Saturday Evening Post, which showcased the work of Norman Rockwell.
Determined to forge a career as an artist, he sold his beloved 1955 Chevy to pursue his studies at the Ringling School of Art and Design in Florida. He moved to New York in 1968 with little more than his portfolio in hand. Since then, his visual narratives and elegant designs have appeared on nearly 2,000 book covers and scores of children’s books inspired by his love of art, history, science, and the natural world.