The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

Announces The 2022 Carle Honors Honorees

This September, The Carle celebrates exceptional individuals and organizations in children’s literature at 16th annual Benefit Gala and Art Auction.

Amherst, MA (March 21, 2022) - The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art announces the 2022 Carle Honors Honorees, to be awarded at the Benefit Gala and Art Auction at Guastavino’s in New York City on Thursday, September 29, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. Now in its 16^th year, the annual gala and fundraiser celebrates individuals and organizations whose creative vision and long-term dedication have had a profound effect on picture books and the vital role they play in arts appreciation and early literacy.

“We are delighted to celebrate our honorees with our first in-person celebration since 2019,” said Rebecca Miller Goggins, director of development at The Carle. “This year, we also plan to incorporate some exciting virtual components that were first introduced in 2020, making this our first hybrid fundraiser. When the pandemic sent us all reeling, we returned again and again to our deepest connections. The Carle fosters these connections through picture books, which bring us together and remind us to be our best selves. On September 29^th we honor those who make these books possible.”

The 2022 Carle Honors honorees are:

Artist: Faith Ringgold

Faith Ringgold is a painter, mixed media sculptor, teacher, lecturer, and author of numerous award-winning children’s books. Known for her oil paintings and her narrative painted story quilts, her first children’s book, the renowned Tar Beach, won over 20 awards including the 1991 Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King award. A creative and cultural force whose work is in the permanent collections of numerous museums in the US and abroad, Ms. Ringgold is a role model for artists and scholars and continues to influence and inspire others.

Angel : Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, represented by President Jeff Conyers

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library inspires a lifelong love of books and learning by mailing specially selected books to the homes of registered children, from birth to age 5, each month. Inspired by her father, who could not read or write, Dolly Parton founded and launched the program in East Tennessee in 1995. The Imagination Library now gifts over 1.8 million books each month internationally and has gifted over 180 million books since inception.

Bridge : Ajia (阿甲)

Ajia is one of China’s foremost translators of Western children’s books and an influential storyteller, author, and educator. In addition to authoring his own picture books and books about children’s literature, he has translated several reference books and more than 200 picture books from English to Chinese, including such classics as Goodnight Moon, the Peter Rabbit series, and Where the Wild Things Are. Ajia brings the joys and scholarship of picture books to a broad and eager audience.

Mentor : Wade and Cheryl Hudson

Wade and Cheryl Hudson are authors, publishers, and leading advocates for equity, diversity, and inclusion in the children’s book industry. In 1988, they founded Just Us Books to publish children’s literature that centers and celebrates Black people, history, and culture. They have dedicated their careers to creating good books and more opportunities for talented creators—mentoring and giving numerous authors, illustrators, and other professionals their start in publishing.

The Carle Honors Honorees are selected each year by a committee chaired by children’s literature historian and critic Leonard S. Marcus, who was central to the founding of the Honors. The committee recognizes four distinct awards: Artist, for lifelong innovation in the field; Angel, whose generous resources are crucial to making illustrated children’s book art exhibitions, education programs, and related projects a reality; Mentor , editors, designers, and educators who champion the art form; and Bridge, individuals or organizations who have found inspired ways to bring the art of the picture book to larger audiences through work in other fields.

Sponsorships and Donations

The Carle Honors is a key fundraiser for The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, and all proceeds support the Museum’s mission to inspire a love of art and reading through picture books. The annual event also includes a Silent Art Auction featuring works of art donated by the industry’s most celebrated artists, to be named at a later date. Individual and corporate tickets, sponsorships, memberships, and donation opportunities abound. For immediate details about these, please contact Rebecca Miller Goggins, director of development at 413-559-6308 or rebeccag@carlemuseum.org.

About The Museum

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is the international champion for picture books. We collect, preserve, and exhibit original illustrations, encourage guests of all ages to read and create art, and foster an ever-growing audience passionate about children’s literature.

The late Eric and Barbara Carle co-founded the Museum in November 2002. Carle was the renowned author and illustrator of more than 70 books, including the 1969 classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Since opening, the 43,000-square foot facility has served more than 750,000 visitors, including 50,000 schoolchildren. The Carle houses more than 11,000 objects, including 7,300 permanent collection illustrations. The Carle has three art galleries, an art studio, a theater, picture book and scholarly libraries, and educational programs for families, scholars, educators, and schoolchildren. Bobbie’s Meadow is an outdoor space that combines art and nature. Educational offerings include professional training for educators around the country and Master’s degree programs in children’s literature with Simmons University.

The Museum offers digital resources, including art activities, book recommendations, collections videos, and professional development workshops for online visitors. Learn more at www.carlemuseum.org and on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram @CarleMuseum.