Next summer, the Springfield Museums will open The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss, the first museum to honor Springfield native Theodor Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss). In anticipation of that momentous occasion, the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts will be hosting a new exhibit titled Cats in Hats: Illustrations by the Western Massachusetts Illustrators’ Guild, from October 4, 2015 through April 30, 2016. The exhibit will feature over 40 original works centered around the common theme of “cats in hats,” in honor of Geisel’s most famous work of children’s literature.
The Western Massachusetts Illustrators’ Guild includes some of the region’s best-known illustrators, including Diane deGroat, Ruth Sanderson, and Jane Yolen, among others. Their artistic styles range from children’s books to fantasy art to editorial pieces and beyond, and this diversity of methods and the size of its membership make the group a dynamic and active resource for illustration.
For this exhibit, cats are represented in a variety of scenes – some cute and fanciful, others quite serious and even scary. For example, Astrid Sheckels’ delightfully sophisticated cats sip tea in their best attire in At the Feline Café, while Scott Murphy’s Pounce de Leon features a helmed cat posed in dramatic profile, and Jeff Mack’s orange tabby wears a green pail as a jaunty hat in A Day at the Beach. A special sculpture installation, Look Who the Cat in the Hat invited to Dinner, created by Jane and Brooke Dyer, will add a three-dimensional element to the exhibition.
An interactive space for visitors within the exhibit will include a special “Cat Walk” scavenger hunt, highlighting hidden cats located around the Museums’ campus; a Cat “Paw-trait” Wall–Selfie Photo Booth with a whimsical hats and cat ears try-on and Cat-Toons cartoon station area will be featured.
Members of the Springfield Museums are invited to wear their most outlandish hats and meet many of the featured artists at a special exhibit opening event on Thursday, October 13 from 5-7 p.m. – for information, members may call 413-263-6800, ext. 462.
The media sponsor for Cats in Hats is The Valley Advocate/Preview Magazine. The MassMutual Foundation is the 2016 Season Supporter of the Springfield Museums.
Featured Artists from the Western Massachusetts Illustrators’ Guild