Story Time: Children and Young Adult Authors and Illustrators

Featuring the work of Bruce Hiscock, Marika McCoola, and Jennifer Sattler

Opening July 7 and running through August 11, 2017, the Lake George Arts Project’s Courthouse Gallery will present “Story Time: Children and Young Adult Authors and Illustrators”, a 3 person exhibition featuring the work of Bruce Hiscock, Marika McCoola, and Jennifer Sattler. The opening reception takes place on Friday, July 7, from 6 – 8 PM. We will also present a panel discussion with the artists on Tuesday, August 1st at 6 pm at Northshire Bookstore, 424 Broadway in Saratoga Springs, NY. Our exhibiting artists will discuss their creative process and relationship between visual illustration and storytelling. All events are free and open to the public.

Bruce Hiscock is the author/illustrator of many natural history books for children. His stories, like “The Big Rock” and “The Big Tree,” are based on actual objects, near his home, and contain enough information to enlighten grade school kids as well as most adults. These books, among others, have been designated as Outstanding Science Trade Books by the Children’s Book Council. “The Big Rock” and “The Big Storm” were honored on the John Burrough’s Riveby Award List of Books for Young Readers. Well versed in many aspects of science, Bruce studied chemistry in college and graduated from the University of Michigan, B.S. 1962 and Cornell University, Ph.D., 1966. At age 40 he decided to combine his artistic talents with science and begin a career in children’s books. His journeys across the North American Arctic from Alaska to Labrador form the basis of several works, including “Tundra,” “The Big Caribou Herd,” and most recently, “Ookpik- the Travels of a Snowy Owl,” a finalist for the Charlotte Award of New York State.  Bruce lives in Porter Corners, NY, in a house he built by hand using the native rocks and trees. He often gives programs in schools and libraries, teaching kids to draw and encouraging them to read and write stories for themselves. You can learn more about his work at brucehiscock.com.

Marika McCoola is an illustrator, educator, and the New York Times bestselling author of “Baba Yaga’s Assistant.” She studied illustration, art history, creative writing, and ceramics at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland and received her BFA in Illustration in 2009. Marika then went on to study creative writing and children’s literature at Simmons College, receiving an MFA in Writing for Children in 2012.  In addition to writing and illustrating, Marika teaches Studio Art, Illustration, and Children’s Literature online for the State University of New York, Empire State College, works as an indie bookseller, and teaches classes through the Emerson Umbrella Arts Center in Concord, MA. She’s also taught Children’s Literature for the K-6 Classroom for Skidmore College’s Education department. Her awards include a 2016 Ivan Gold Fiction Fellowship from Writers’ Room of Boston; 2015 Finalist for JP Reads Flash Fiction Contest; Rusty Drugan Scholarship from New England Independent Booksellers’ Association, 2012, and CHIRP Scholarship for Winter Institute 7 from Candlewick Press, 2012. Marika grew up in Glens Falls, and currently resides in Somerville, MA. You can learn more about her and her work at marikamccoola.com.

Jennifer Sattler is the award winning author and illustrator of several children’s books, including “Sylvie,” which won the Mockingbird Award and the Georgia Children’s Book Award, “Uh O DoDo,” and her newest book “Frankie The Blankie.” She is also the author of the popular “Chick-N-Pug” and “Pig Kahuna” series. Jennifer earned her BFA in painting from the University of New Hampshire and MFA from Indiana University, Bloomington. In 1996, she won a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Although she has worked as a landscape painter and professor of painting and drawing, her real passion is creating books for children. After her first daughter Mayzie was born, she found it harder and harder to get out to the painting studio. “I couldn’t wait to read to Mayzie. She slept most of the time, but I kept reading, silly voices and all! The magic of picture books excited me so much more than making pictures to hang on the wall.” Jennifer began drawing elephants, Mayzie’s favorite animals at the time. A year later her first book was published, “Bella’s Saratoga Summer,” starring Bella the Elephant (named after their 100 lb. dog). The following year her second book was published. “All Aboard Owney! The Adirondack Mail Dog” was based on the true story of a scruffy dog that rode the rails in the early 1900’s. She says: “I’ve been asked why I only use animals as my characters in my books.  It’s simple, really. I want children to identify with the personalities of my characters, their situations, worries and joys… When the characters are animals, it’s much more universally relatable.” Jennifer lives and works in Saratoga Springs.  You can learn more about her and her work at jennifersattlerbooks.com.

This exhibition is funded in part by Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs, Adirondack Studios, Price Chopper’s Golub Foundation and the New York State Council on The Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. The Courthouse Gallery hours during exhibitions are Tuesday through Friday 12 – 5 pm, Saturday 12 – 4 pm, and all other times by appointment. The Courthouse Gallery is located at the side entrance of the Old County Courthouse, corner of Canada and Lower Amherst Streets, Lake George, NY.