Into the Imaginary Kingdom
An exhibit that affirmed art’s power to connect, no matter the medium.
This past week, I attended the opening reception for Imaginary Kingdom, a group art show I’m honored to be part of, featuring the work of children’s book illustrators at the Galleries of the Interchurch Center in New York City. Other than being in the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show a couple of times, I’ve never been invited to be part of an art show in a gallery like this. The idea of my work hanging in a gallery was both exciting and a little nerve-wracking!
Most of my illustrations are digitally created and, while I love the process (it’s gotten me where I am after all), I’ll admit, there was a part of me that wondered: Is this kind of work gallery-worthy?
That doubt lingered as I selected pieces to display. To ground my work in something more tangible, I included an original pencil rendering from my favorite spread in Sleepyheads, a picture book by Sandra Howatt that I had drawn in pencil and colored digitally.
I even hand-glittered prints (because a little sparkle never hurts) from You Are My Magical Unicorn, You Are My Sparkly Mermaid, and You Are My Special Narwhal. Still, I wasn’t sure how it would all be received.
But then something beautiful happened.
As the night unfolded, I watched visitors of all ages light up as they moved through the space. They smiled, pointed, lingered. The president of the building wanted to meet me because a couple of pieces from my book Dream Big really resonated with him. The medium didn’t seem to matter. What mattered was the joy, the whimsy, the warmth the pieces evoked.
It reminded me of something simple but powerful:
Art isn’t about the medium—it’s about the feeling.
Whether it’s framed on a gallery wall or tucked into the pages of a bedtime book, whether drawn by hand or painted with pixels, if it comes from an artist’s heart and stirs feeling in someone else, it belongs.
One of the highlights was spending the evening talking with the other artists and soaking in their unique styles, stories, and creative energy. I feel lucky to have been part of this creative moment and proud to be woven into the larger fabric of NYC’s vibrant art scene.
Big thanks to our curators Jennifer Roberts and Tracey Del Duca, my fellow artists, and everyone who came out (even in the rain!) to support Imaginary Kingdom.
I hope the exhibit continues to spark imagination and joy for all who wander through. The show runs through July 11th.
Keep wan-dering!
Joyce
Imaginary Kingdom: An Exhibition of Children’s Book Illustrators
The Galleries of the Interchurch Center
61 Claremont Avenue, NYC
Gallery Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm