R.MICHELSON GALLERIES

36 Reasons

to visit the

36th Annual Illustration Celebration!

November 2, 2025 - January 30, 2026

Opening Reception: Sunday, November 2nd from 4-6 pm

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Because Marc Brown (and Arthur!) will be here to accept the 2025 R. Michelson Galleries Lifetime Achievement Award for Contribution to Children’s Literacy.

Because even if it rains, R.W. Alley and Paddington will help you find the Rainbow's End (we hear it's at R. Michelson Galleries)! 

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Because it’ll be a whirlwind of a day for Caldecott Medalist Jason Chin, who will be blowing through the Carle Museum before flooding us with his amazing artwork from Hurricane.

Because our beloved late Jerry Pinkney started a book, and his son Brian Pinkney finished it- but that’s just a drop in the bucket of his many achievements.

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Because we welcome Sean Qualls to the gallery, and his Dizzyingly beautiful illustrations could inspire an Idea in You!

Because Carson Ellis spun her paints into gold with her lush rendition of Rumpelstiltskin written by US National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Mac Barnett.

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Because Aaron Becker will be here to remind us to go slow and really enjoy the moments of the 36th Annual Illustration Celebration, even though it happens so fast.

Because you don’t have to be a Scaredy-Cat to meet Nick Bruel, who’s making a purrr-fect debut to our gallery. We hope Bad Kitty won't be too scared of the Seventeen Dogs that Kate Feiffer will be bringing!

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Because it’s no small peanuts for Raul Colón to travel every year to the gallery to celebrate with us, and we so appreciate him for it!

Because soon enough we might all be able to have a snow day with Caldecott Medalist Erin Stead and Philip Stead.

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And because Uri Shulevitz knew a thing or two about Snow.

Because Caldecott Honor artist Micha Archer will be Watching the Wind to make sure we have a good forecast for the celebration. Either way we're sure Douglas Florian will have some Wind Songs for us.

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Because Caldecott Medalist Matt Cordell will find it a hoot if you See an Owl that night.

Because together, we are all united in delighting over Bryan Collier’s new books.

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Because you’ll be able to wrap your head around the crowning glory of Ekua Holmes’ radiant collages in person.

Because although it might not be Hans Christian Andersen Awardee Sydney Smith’s first time exhibiting with us, it’s certainly Santa’s First time at the Illustration Celebration! And of course, nobody wants to say "Merry Christmas!" more than Ollie and Olivier Dunrea!

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Because you can ask Barbara McClintock the real questions like “Where are You, Bronte?”, and “What’s a Fraggle?”--and find out! 

Because, now more than ever, Rosemary Wells’ future Kindness, the Handbook will teach us a thing or two.

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Because we couldn’t get more than enough of Joe Cepeda’s colorful artwork for gallery owner Richard Michelson’s new book.

Because, although Robin Preiss Glasser had to leave Northampton before the celebration, we know that even through distance we’ll always be besties for eternity.

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Because seeing G. Brian Karas is always a breath of fresh air.

Because, although we might not have all the answers that night, Diane deGroat will be at this address and she and Anastasia might know!

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Because, once the show is over, Mark Teague will be going on a well-deserved Vacation!

Because Thomas Gonzalez has joined the gallery and HOLY COW are we excited for you to behold his Toad-ally amazing works available.

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Because John Bemelmans Marciano’s Madeline will thank you profusely in french, Merci beaucoup!

Because you’ll finally get to see whether Mo Willems' Pigeon graduated this year or not!

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Because you wouldn’t want to passover E.B. Lewis and Richard Michelson’s newest collaboration together!

Because we love lists (can you tell?) and 20 of our artists have made the 65 Essential Children’s Books list from the Atlantic, and 9 of our artists landed in Slate’s The 25 Greatest Picture Books of the Past 25 Years

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Because you might be able to hop on and join Diane Dillon on the Wings of Peace- and what a relief that would be.

Because Juana Martinez-Neal will be gifting us with her artwork this year. And, it's a chance for you to welcome her back from a conservation trip to Africa!

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Because after you see her retrospective at the Carle Museum, you might make a friend at an unexpected place- like Grace Lin!

Because you will be as smart as Emily Arnold McCully's Einstein-- or Genuis Grant awardee David Macaulay if you join us!

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Because you will simply hear a Symphony when looking upon Wendell Minor's classic work for the Julie series.

Because Ruth Sanderson might be saying goodnight, Jane Dyer could be a sleepyhead, but Lauren Castillo know's the party is no time for sleeping!

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Because Ian Falconer's Olivia just wants to grab you by the hand and look at all the beautiful new artworks on the wall, framed up and ready to take home!

Because we have original Eric Carle collages for sale and The Eric Carle Museum will be here to sell books and you can get yours signed by your favorite illustrator and the many authors who will also join us! (No outside copies, please.)

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And!

...we didn’t even mention works by Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak, Virginia Lee Burton, Ezra Jack Keats, Trina Schart Hyman, Ed Young, Jules Feiffer, Mordicai Gerstein, Gerald McDermott, Eric Carle, Alice Provensen, and dozens more of your favorite illustrators!

Gallery Hours:

Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat: 10-6

Friday: 12-8

Sunday, November 3rd: 12-5

About R. Michelson Galleries

For over 4 years, R. Michelson Galleries has been acknowledged as a leader in discovering and nurturing the careers of many of our country's best known figurative artists. Art originally exhibited in our galleries now hangs in many of the most prestigious museums in America, including New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Art Institute of Chicago. We are proud to be the first American art gallery to feature the art of children's book illustration alongside and on an equal footing with the more traditional fine arts. R. Michelson Galleries is located in Northampton, Massachusetts, the #1 art town in America, in which "the most prominent visual arts space is R. Michelson Galleries."



-John Villani, The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America

R. MICHELSON GALLERIES

132 Main Street

Northampton, MA 01060

WEBSITE

www.RMichelson.com

CONTACT 

Richard Michelson

RM@RMichelson.com

Paul Gulla

PG@RMichelson.com

PHONE

413.586.3964

HOURS

Tues-Thurs 10-6, Fri 12-8, Sat 10-6, Sun-Mon By Appointment

Sent by:

events@RMichelson.com 

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