The Crews Family:  Donald Crews, Ann Jonas, and Nina Crews  July 6 to August 21, 2004 Third Floor Gallery

The library’s tribute to the power and diversity of notable illustrations is amplified in this show entitled The Crews Family: Donald Crews, Ann Jonas, and Nina Crews. The show celebrates the art of children’s picture book illustration by Newark native Donald Crews, who was a Caldecott Honor Book winner for both Freight Train and Truck, his wife Ann Jonas, and their daughter Nina Crews.  This exhibit was organized by the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, Abilene, Texas.

Donald Crews’ education and training is in graphic design, which explains the flat, clean colors, bright, unambiguous shapes and poster-like quality of his illustrations.  Artwork in the exhibit includes scenes from  Freight Train, Parade, Flying, Bigmama's, Shortcut, Sail Away, and Night at the Fair.

From Freight Train © 1978, Donald Crews.

Ann Jonas uses watercolors to illustrate her books and has found creative ways to utilize the picture book format.  Her titles included in the exhibition are Ardvarks, Disembark!, Bird Talk, Round Trip, and Color Dance.

From Color Dance © 1989, Ann Jonas.

The favorite medium for Nina Crews is photography, and she uses photo collage to tell a story on many levels.  Her books One Hot Summer Day, Snowball, You Are Here, and I'll Catch the Moon are featured.

From One Hot Summer Day © 1995, Nina Crews.

The Crews Family exhibit comprises sixty-six works of art in such media as watercolor, gouache, airbrush, pen and ink, and photo collage.

For more information about the artists, please visit:

Donald Crews
http://www.nccil.org/dcrews.html

http://www.harpercollins.com/catalog/author_xml.asp?authorid=16149 

Nina Crews
http://www.nccil.org/ncrews.html

http://www.ninacrews.com/

Ann Jonas
http://www.nccil.org/jonas.html

http://www.harpercollins.com/catalog/author_xml.asp?authorid=17146