Philly Declares July 19 'Jerry Pinkney Day' in Honor of Renowned Illustrator/Alum

The University of the Arts is pleased to join the Free Library of Philadelphia, SafeKidsStories.com, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy to celebrate “Jerry Pinkney Day,” which Mayor Jim Kenney will proclaim on July 19, 2016, in honor of renowned children’s book illustrator/author and UArts Silver Star Outstanding Alumni Award recipient Jerry Pinkney DIPL '60 (Advertising Design).

This honor follows an unprecedented dual recognition of Pinkney’s work from the American Library Association: the 2016 Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, given annually to African-American authors and illustrators of books for young readers, and the 2016 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, which honors one author or illustrator whose books have made a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.

A native of Philadelphia, Pinkney is one of the most beloved artists in children’s literature, having illustrated more than 100 books over his five-decade career. He is the recipient of a 2010 Caldecott Medal for his picture book The Lion and the Mouse, was honored by the Society of Illustrators with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006 and a Hall of Fame induction in 2011, and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2012. Other awards include five Caldecott Honor Medals, five Coretta Scott King Book Awards and four Coretta Scott King Honor Awards.

The celebration includes public events at locations across the city:

Proclamation Ceremony – with Mayor Kenney and Jerry Pinkney
Tuesday, July 19 │ 2:00 p.m.
City Hall, Mayor’s Reception Room

Art Splash for Families – with Jerry Pinkney
Tuesday, July 19 │ 3:00 p.m.
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Perelman Building

Conversation with Jerry Pinkney – interviewed by author Lorene Cary
Tuesday, July 19 │ 7:30 p.m.
Parkway Central Library, Montgomery Auditorium

Meet the Illustrator – with Jerry Pinkney
Wednesday, July 20 │ 2:00 p.m.
Joseph E. Coleman Northeast Regional Library

Other “Jerry Pinkney Day” partners include Art Sanctuary, the Athenaeum of Philadelphia and the School District of Philadelphia.

Photo is cover illustration from 'The Lion and the Mouse,' Jerry Pinkney, 2009, ©2009 Jerry Pinkney Studio, All rights reserved.