Artists have long been stimulated and motivated by the work of those who came before them—sometimes, centuries before them. Interviews with 120 international contemporary artists discussing works from The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection that spark their imagination shed new light on art-making, museums, and the creative process. Images of works from The Met collection appear alongside images of the contemporary artists' work, allowing readers to discover a rich web of visual connections that spans cultures and millennia.

“It never occurred to me while growing up that art is an industry involving countless jobs, so if this book helps shed light to just one kid that it is a viable career option, then it has done its job, as art is indescribably important!” —Oliver Jeffers, Artist and Illustrator “This book so beautifully explains to kids what goes into making an art exhibition. It’s not just about an artist hanging something on a wall for people to see: it’s so much more lively, layered, and community-driven. Even I learned a ton about what truly goes into a fantastic art show!” —Joy Cho, Author and Founder of Oh Joy! “I wish I’d had this book when I was a kid! I always wanted my art to be in a big museum one day but, growing up in a small town, that just seemed impossible. Making a Great Exhibition is a beautifully illustrated behind-the-scenes peek at exactly how art makes its way from an artist’s mind to the big white walls of a fancy gallery. Turns out, there are a lot of people, with some very cool jobs, who make the magic happen—and any book that shows kids (and parents!) they can grow up to have a career in the arts is okay by me!” —Danielle Krysa, The Jealous Curator An exciting insight into the workings of artists and museums, Making a Great Exhibition is a colorful and playful introduction geared to children ages 3-7 How does an artist make a sculpture or a painting? What tools do they use? What happens to the artwork next? This fun, inside look at the life of an artwork shows the journey of two artists’ work from studio to exhibition. Stopping along the way we meet colorful characters—curators, photographers, shippers, museum visitors, and more! Both illustrator and author were raised in the art world, spending their time in studios, doing homework in museum offices, and going to special openings. They have teamed up to share their experiences and love for this often mysterious world to a young audience. London-based illustrator Rose Blake is best known for her work in A History of Pictures for Children, by David Hockney and Martin Gayford, which has been a worldwide success. Author Doro Globus brings her love for the arts and kids together with this fun journey.

In English for the first time, a wild and darkly funny book that combines Surrealist painter Leonora Carringon's fantastical writing and illustrations for children The maverick surrealist Leonora Carrington was an extraordinary painter and storyteller who loved to make up stories and draw pictures for her children. She lived much of her life in Mexico, and her sons remember sitting in a big room whose walls were covered with images of wondrous creatures, towering mountains, and ferocious vegetation while she told fabulous and funny tales. That room was later whitewashed, but some of its wonders were preserved in the little notebook that Carrington called The Milk of Dreams. John, who has wings for ears, Humbert the Beautiful, an insufferable kid who befriends a crocodile and grows more insufferable yet, and the awesome Janzamajoria are all to be encountered in The Milk of Dreams, a book that is as unlikely, outrageous, and dreamy as dreams themselves.

La exposición refleja la historia del Black Mountain College (BMC), fundado en 1933 en Carolina del Norte y concebido como universidad experimental que situaba al arte en el centro de una educación liberal que pretendía educar mejor a los ciudadanos para participar en la sociedad democrática. La educación era interdisciplinaria y concedía gran importancia al debate, la investigación y la experimentación, dedicando la misma atención a las artes visuales –pintura, escultura, dibujo- que a las llamadas artes aplicadas –tejidos, cerámica, orfebrería, así como a la arquitectura, la poesía, la música y la danza.

Stars as minimalist and maximalist motif in the art of Frank Stella, from his earliest paintings to his most recent sculptures As a painter, sculptor and printmaker, Frank Stella (born 1936) has always paid great attention to geometric lines and patterns in his work, creating pieces that are arrestingly kaleidoscopic in both their form and content with bold lines and shaped canvases. This catalog, published for his 2020 exhibition at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut, focuses in particular on the enduring use of star shapes in Stella's oeuvre. Stella's depictions of stars range from the minimalism of his early career, with lithograph prints of brightly colored polygonal patterns, to the maximalism of his more recent work seen in his towering angular sculptures made from stainless steel. Although he is well aware that his last name is the Latin word for star, Stella maintains that his fixation on the shape is inspired by its form and the endless possibilities that accompany the star, rather than its etymology. Both instantly recognizable and infinitely abstract, stars seem like an obvious choice for an artist who has dedicated his life to experimenting with form. In addition to a plates section of the 60 pieces included in the Aldrich show, this book presents installation shots throughout the museum's interiors and outdoor gardens, and photographs of the artist's studio. The curators of the exhibition, Richard Klein and Amy Smith-Stewart, worked closely with Stella on the exhibition installation and contribute major essays that add new dimensions to our understanding of a widely celebrated and influential artist.