Lecture and exhibit focus on famed black illustrator's postage-stamp creations

Phyllis Van Orden

In celebration of Black History Month, Florida State University's College of Communication and Information will host an exhibit and presentation titled "Leaving His Stamp: The Life and Illustrations of Jerry Pinkney."

Pinkney, best known for his award-winning illustrations of children's books, is the recipient of a Caldecott Medal and four Caldecott Honors as a finalist for the medal; four Coretta Scott King Awards and one finalist Honor; four New York Times "Best Illustrated" Awards; four gold and four silver medals from the Society of Illustrators; and a Boston Globe Book Award.

The Feb. 16 presentation by Phyllis Van Orden, a former faculty member in the School of Library & Information Studies, will focus on Pinkney's involvement with the U.S. Postal Service's Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee as art director and the designer of 12 postage stamps for the Black Heritage series.

The reception will officially open a set of exhibits to be displayed until March 17. The three displays include actual stamps from the talk, information on the aesthetics of stamps, and tools and supplies for stamp collectors.

"We are delighted to welcome Dr. Phyllis Van Orden back home and to provide a forum for her presentation on Jerry Pinkney, an outstanding African-American artist whose work appeals to young and old alike," said Larry Dennis, dean of the College of Communication & Information.

Van Orden's love of stamp-collecting is a natural marriage of her expertise in children's literature and her passion for art and design. Her column,"Children's Books and Stamps: Studies in Design," is featured in the journal Philateli-Graphics and presents profiles of children's book illustrators who also design postage stamps.

Van Orden was active in the Association for Library Service to Children, serving as president 1983-1984, chairing the Newbery Award Committee in 1989 and serving as a committee member of the Caldecott Award Committee in 1995. She lives in Tallahassee.

The presentation is free and open to the public. It will be held:

THURSDAY, FEB. 16
3 P.M.
GREGORY CONFERENCE ROOM
LOUIS SHORES BUILDING
142 COLLEGIATE WAY
TALLAHASSEE, FLA.

A reception will follow at 4 p.m. in the adjacent Goldstein Library.

Limited parking in available in the lot between Montgomery Hall and the Shores Building (map.campus.fsu.edu).

For more information, contact Audrey Post of the College of Communication and Information at (850) 645-8818 or audrey.post@cci.fsu.edu.

13 February 2012