McSweeney’s and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats with artists Jason Jägel, Amy Martin, and Clare Rojas January 8, 2013

McSweeney’s editor Brian McMullen moderates a panel of cutting-edge illustrators as they discuss the influence of Ezra Jack Keats on their work and on contemporary children’s book illustration. Panelists include Jason Jägel, Amy Martin, and Clare Rojas.

Jason Jägel received degrees from California College of Arts and Crafts (BFA 1995) and Stanford University (MFA 2002). A monograph of his work entitled, Seventy-Three Funshine (2008), was created with an accompanying ten-inch vinyl record with music by Madlib and published by Electric Works, San Francisco. Jagel’s work appears in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, The UCLA Hammer Museum, and the Portland Museum of Art, among others.

Amy Martin has created books, magazines, posters, products and illustrations for Obama for America, The New York Times, McSweeney’s, Pentagram, INC, Fast Company, GOOD, Portland Monthly, The Walt Disney Company, Foreign Policy, Death Cab for Cutie, Sufjan Stevens, St. Vincent, Band of Horses, The Los Angeles Times, The Detroit Free Press, The Advocate, 826LA, Knock Knock, Creature, North and Cinco. Her first illustrated children’s book, ‘Symphony City’, was released by McSweeney’s in July 2011 and won the 2012 Ridgeway Honor Award.

Using vivid geometric shapes and patterns reminiscent of quilt work, Clare Rojas creates narrative paintings focused on the relationships between men, women, society, and nature. Rojas is the recipient of a Project Space Residency and Tournesol Award from Headlands Center for the Arts, Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Grant, Eureka Fellowship Award, and an Artadia Award.
Presented in conjunction with the exhibition The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats.

Official Website: http://www.thecjm.org/programs/lectures-and-gallery-talks/293-mcsweeneyskeats