The Charles Allis Art Museum presents “Wisconsin’s Own: Aaron Boyd,” an exhibition sure to delight the eye and the imagination.
Boyd, who grew up in Milwaukee and still calls the city home, works from a studio on the East Side. After graduating from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Boyd pursued his interest in illustrating children’s books—a dream he’d had since he was 6 years old. Those boyhood dreams came true. Boyd has illustrated more than 15 books for children and young adults and has created numerous illustrations for Scholastic and Spider Magazine.
Boyd’s illustrative style is reminiscent of artwork from the 1940s and ’50s. His watercolor work includes tiny creatures dancing across book pages or gliding on sleds and sailboats in mischievous adventures. Boyd has earned multiple awards for his creation of Acuity Insurance’s annual report, titled Acuity’s Storybook Year. Based on tales from Mother Goose and made to look like a children’s pop-up picture book, the company’s annual report became part of the Smithsonian Institution’s Rare Book Collection in 2012.
At the Charles Allis, Boyd displays more than 30 images from his career in illustration, both originals and prints, rarely seen in exhibitions. He is currently working on a young-adult chapter book called Sleepy Hollow. Boyd describes the story as “Sherlock Holmes with animal characters that solve darker crimes for today’s sophisticated middle-school audiences.”
You can also discover Boyd’s enchanting animal characters at Boswell Book Co. He designed the store’s 2012 holiday shopping bags as well as a delightful T-shirt. Boyd’s exhibition at the Charles Allis opens Dec. 14 with a 5:30-8:30 p.m. reception.
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Art Happenings
Art vs. Craft
Harley-Davidson Museum
400 W. Canal St.
“Buy handmade for the holidays” at this fun annual event that features juried national artists and their unique artisanal goods. The event runs 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 24. (Admission is $4; free for children 12 and under.)
Open Canvas 2012
Pritzlaff Building
333 N. Plankinton Ave.
This annual fundraiser for Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design scholarships and the Eisner Creative Foundation takes place 6-11 p.m. Nov. 24. The evening includes 80 artists painting images to be auctioned at the end of the night. ($50 in advance; $55 at the door.)
