The children’s book illustration exhibit, featuring the work of five local artists, will open Sept. 7.

Submitted

The West Hartford Art League will hold an exhibition of work by five Connecticut children’s book illustrators in its Saltbox Gallery from Sept. 7-24. The opening reception for “The Art of Children’s Book Illustration” will be held Thursday, Sept. 7 from 6-8 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

Illustrations by Sandy Chase, Marissa Napolitano, Bob Noreika, Julie Phillipps, and Andrea Wisnewski. will be featured alongside their books. There will be a book signing, and reading by the illustrators/authors Saturday, Sept. 16, at 1 p.m. in the Saltbox Gallery. Books will be available for purchase.

All five artists come to publishing from diverse backgrounds;

Sandy Chase earned her Master of Education Degree from the University of Hartford, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Art Education from Central Connecticut State University, and her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in painting and illustration from the Hartford Art School at the University of Hartford. Chase started writing and illustrating children’s stories in her middle age years and creates with one particular audience in mind … her grandson, Sam! Mother of four grown children, grandmother, artist, community volunteer, and philanthropist, Chase lives in West Hartford with her husband, Arnold.

Marissa Napoletano is an artist and Illustrator working in the East coast. After graduating from the Hartford Art School she has worked on a variety of commissions and subjects from postage stamps to two hundred foot murals. “Over in the Meadow” is her first children’s book and reflects her tendency to experiment and mix mediums.

Bob Noreika is a graduate of Paier School of Art and has been a professional artist for 40 years. A prominent national award winning artist and illustrator, his paintings hang in both corporate and private collections throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan. He is represented in numerous galleries and teaches and lectures throughout New England. He has illustrated several children’s books and magazine editorials.

Julie Phillipps decided to become a writer and illustrator when she worked at an after-school program and started reading picture books to her students. She combined her playwriting background with her art degree and published her first book, Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted to be Noticed in 2009 with Viking Children’s Books. She has since created and published three other books: Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted to Nap, Monkey Ono, and The Simples Love a Picnic. Phillipps loves visiting schools, reading her books to young people, and teaching them about the process of making picture books. She lives in West Hartford with her husband, son, and cat.

Andrea Wisnewski has been illustrating since the start of her business, Running Rabbit Press in 1985. As a freelance illustrator, she has worked for newspapers and magazines around the world, and has illustrated everything from cookbooks to children’s books. Some of her books include “Little Red Riding Hood” published in 2006, “Little Old Farm Folk” in 2017 and “Trio, The Tale of a Three-legged Cat” in 2017 all for David R. Godine, Publisher.

For more information on the exhibit or book signing, please visit our website. Our galleries are open Thursday through Sunday from 1-4 p.m.

Illustration by Marissa Napolitano. Submitted photo

Trio34 Andrea. Submitted photo

Illustration by Sandy Chase. Submitted photo

Bob Noreika Marsh Morning book. Submitted photo