Wendell Minor's 'America' exhibit opens new home of Schingoethe Center
The Schingoethe Center of Aurora University will officially open at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, for the opening reception of Wendell Minor's "America." The exhibit is free and open to the public.
The center's new facility includes expanded, modern galleries showcasing cultural exhibitions and different shows of local, regional and national artists. It opens after 12 months of construction. Adjacent to the Schingoethe Center is the new Ellsworth and Virginia Hill Welcome Center, an educational facility that includes gathering rooms for meals and conversation. The 20,000-square-foot facility also houses an 80-seat recital and lecture hall.
Wendell Minor's "America" exhibit on display Oct. 6-Dec. 11. Award-winning illustrator Wendell Minor drew his way through childhood in Aurora, inspired by the richly illustrated magazines that were a part of American life during the mid-20th century. Minor's traveling exhibition from the Norman Rockwell Museum highlights his 45-year career as an illustrator. He has been the exclusive designer of the book covers for David McCullough and Pat Conroy for the past four decades and has produced more than 2,000 other book covers and nearly 60 children's books.
Minor's "America" traces the personal and artistic journey of the acclaimed book illustrator and admirer of Norman Rockwell, through original artwork, artifacts and references from Minor's expansive visual chronicles, as well as commentary about his collaborations with our nation's most prominent authors, scientists and historians. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalog featuring essays by many of the noted authors and editors with whom Minor has partnered.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough, who has collaborated with the artist on such books as "1776," "John Adams" and "Truman," remarked that "Minor is always showing what he loves - the great outdoors, crystal night skies, the moon in all its phases, the plain vernacular architecture of American small towns and remote farm houses … showing what you love to your audience is the heart of effective teaching. Besides being a supremely gifted artist and natural storyteller, Wendell Minor is a very great teacher - which is another reason why his work is of such value."
"The Schingoethe Center of Aurora University is pleased to present Wendell Minor's 'America'," said Meg Bero, Schingoethe Center director. "Minor's exquisitely detailed illustrations bring the written word to life, underscoring his belief that, 'A good picture, like a good story, is timeless.' The fact that Minor is a native son reflects Aurora University's commitment to celebrating the greater community."
The exhibit is organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum where Minor has been a longtime trustee. Minor's art can be found in the permanent collections of a number of museums, including the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, the Illinois State Museum, the Museum of American Illustration and the Library of Congress.
The special presentation "Heartland Boy" featuring Wendell Minor will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, at Crimi Auditorium, 1347 Prairie St., Aurora. He will share stories about his life and career, making connections between his success and being a heartland boy from Aurora.
The Schingoethe Center of Aurora University seeks to cultivate creative community through its exhibits and programs. Established by the university in 1990 the museum boasts a large Native American collection. The center functions as a model of visual literacy education for AU students and faculty, and a laboratory for the museum studies curriculum as well as bringing fine art to the larger community.