“Dr.
Seuss” (1904-1991)
For
nearly sixty years, Theodor Seuss Geisel has
delighted millions worldwide with his fanciful
and often times surreal worlds in which moral
and social tales unfold with the ease and excitement
of a perpetual child. His unbridled creativity
and his ability to touch the hearts of children,
parents and grandparents alike goes unmatched
within the 20th century art world.
As
an illustrator, Dr. Seuss reached beyond the
scope of most artists; his collection of more
than 48 books for kids turned children’s
literacy on its head. It began in 1957 with
a captivating story about an uninvited cat in
a tilted stovepipe hat that created mayhem and
magic known as the Cat in the Hat. He was a
proponent for equality and became the education
of tolerance to a whole generation with books
such as “The Sneeches”, “Horton
Hears a Who” and “Yertle the Turtle”.
Green Eggs & Ham is the 3rd largest selling
book of all time! Seuss is also recognized for
raising our conscience with hidden and not so
hidden morals and messages, such as The Lorax,
who remains a hero for environmentalists of
all ages.
The
100th birthday of Dr. Seuss in 2004 will be
a year long celebration that pays tribute to
Ted Geisel’s creative and artistic contributions
in the 20th century. In 2002, three museum exhibitions
opened featuring “The Art of Dr. Seuss;”
one at the Springfield Museum of Fine Arts,
one at the Connecticut Valley Historical Society
and the third museum show opened at the Lyndon
Baines Johnson Presidential Library, which featured
all of the original works from “The Lorax.”
A most notable occasion to honor the life of
this beloved man was the unveiling of The Dr.
Seuss National Memorial & Sculpture Garden,
which will remain a permanent tribute to the
characters he created.
Other
celebrations in this “Suessentennial”
are: The Cat in the Hat movie starring Mike
Meyers, a major archive exhibition that will
be unveiled at the UCSD Mandeville Library and
a Postage Stamp to honor Ted Geisel, which will
be unveiled on March 2, 2004. Additionally,
The American Library Association announces the
inception of the Ted Geisel Award in recognition
of the country’s best beginner reader
book author.
The
Secret Art of Dr Seuss Collection has been recreated
with great care by the widow of Dr. Seuss, Audrey
Geisel, who will leave the estate of originals
to remain intact, to a museum. These fine art
prints and sculptures, beautifully produced
in small editions, reflect a sophisticated whimsical
painter whose unique style is in a league of
his own. The fluid, painterly style has won
applause across the world, and the praise of
other contemporary masters. He will always be
a hero to many…
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Read the Press release
