Maurice Sendak exhibit features 'Wild Things' art and the author's script notes
Soon after what would have been the author鈥檚 85th birthday, an exhibit of writer Maurice Sendak鈥檚 work and possessions will open at the Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators in New York City.
The show will be open to the public on June 14 and will run through Aug. 17. It includes drawings created for, but not published in, Sendak鈥檚 book 鈥�Where the Wild Things Are,鈥� furniture designed by Sendak, and some of the author鈥檚 notes, among other items.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 safe to say that no other private collection touches [this], or even comes close,鈥� , a children鈥檚 literature historian, said.
One of the attractions in the exhibit drew particular praise from writer Jennifer M. Brown.聽
鈥淒o not miss the cow sculpture downstairs,鈥� Brown wrote of a piece of artwork which features the faces of Bernard and the other Wild Things of 鈥淲here the Wild Things Are.鈥� Beneath the cow is Max, the story鈥檚 hero.
Other items include etchings of stone that the writer created as he was designing sets for the Houston Grand Opera鈥檚 production of 鈥淭he Magic Flute.鈥� Also on display are notes he made on a script when he produced a TV special titled 鈥淩eally Rosie鈥� which was based on several of his books, including 鈥淐hicken Soup with Rice.鈥� The TV special was based off the musical of the same name which featured music by Carole King; Sendak took charge of the script and lyrics.聽
鈥淩osie should have look of exaggerated suffering,鈥� he writes in one suggestion.
As part of the exhibit, a catalogue titled 鈥淢aurice Sendak: A Celebration of the Artist and His Work鈥� has also been published. Written by Justin G. Schiller and Dennis M.V. David, the curators of the exhibit, it also includes 12 original essays about Sendak penned by writers such as Steven Heller and Iona Opie.
