Silent Art Auction at BookExpo to Feature Artwork From 125 Illustrators

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More than 125 illustrators have donated works of art for the 2017 Silent Art Auction to Benefit ABFE and Every Child a Reader, which will be held on Wednesday, May 31, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at New York City’s Javits Convention Center during BookExpo 2017. The event will also feature the presentation of the Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards, hosted by Gene Luen Yang, the Library of Congress National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

The auction, which will feature artwork from such illustrators as Sophie Blackall, Mark Hoffman, Sydney Hanson, and Ian Schoenherr, is sponsored by the ABC Children’s Group at ABA and the Children’s Book Council (CBC). Proceeds from the event will benefit American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE) and Every Child a Reader.

Check-in for the Silent Auction will begin at 5:00 p.m. in Room 1E12/13/14 of the Javits Center, and there will be an open bar set up outside the awards room. At 5:30, the announcement of the Children’s and Teen Choice Book Award winners will take place in Room 1E12/13/14, and the Silent Auction will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the South Corridor.

This year’s Silent Art Auction program will also celebrate the 75th anniversary of Random House’s Little Golden Books imprint, which launched in 1942. The auction will feature a special selection of works celebrating the Little Golden Books legacy as part of a year-long marketing and publicity campaign that began in February.

“While I spent my life buried under books, this past month I have been buried under art,” said professor and children’s literature advocate Susannah Richards, who coordinated the artwork for the auction. “There are so many wonderful pieces, including art from previously published and forthcoming books, as well as original art to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Little Golden Books. It is great to see the generosity of spirit and talent from well-established artists as well as newcomers to the field.”

“I am sure that there will be some bidding wars, but all of the treasures would be welcome additions to a library, a bookstore, a school, a child’s bedroom, the office of a literary spirit, or any other place where art and literary life are appreciated,” added Richards.

BookExpo attendees are invited to purchase tickets now for the Silent Art Auction. Tickets for ABA member booksellers are priced at $11, a 90 percent discount off the regular price of $110; to receive the discount, booksellers must be logged in to BookWeb when ordering. Discounts are also available to librarians and friends of ABFE and the CBC with the use of special discount codes.

Booksellers can register for free badges to BookExpo by providing an ABA member ID number during the registration process. Booksellers who don’t know their ID number should send a request with their name, title, and store name to [email protected] or call (800) 637-0037, ext. 7536.