The Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program offers published children’s book illustrators the opportunity to participate in a one month residency in a public library. This unique program will include exchanges between the illustrator and the community through workshops and presentations, meetings with artists and art students, and projects with children, parents, and teachers.
IBBY Canada’s call for applications for the Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program required applicants to have extensive experience in making presentations, and to include programming ideas for the residency. “We were delighted by the quality of the applications, and by how many illustrators applied,” said Susane Dushesne, president of IBBY Canada. “This has been an excellent start to a program that we anticipate will be a key annual event in the children’s book community.”
The Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program is hosted by a public library, administered by IBBY Canada, and funded by Joanne’s family, with additional support from publisher Groundwood Books. The Toronto Public Library will host the residencies in 2013 and 2014. In subsequent years, in partnership with the Canadian Urban Libraries Council, IBBY Canada will work with libraries in other provinces to host the Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program.
IBBY Canada’s Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program honours Joanne Fitzgerald (1956–2011), who illustrated many influential Canadian children’s books, including Plain Noodles, Emily’s House, The Blue Hippopotamus, and Governor General’s Literary Award winner Doctor Kiss Says Yes. In memory of Joanne Fitzgerald’s commitment to children’s books and illustration, her family collaborated with IBBY Canada to establish the Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program.
IBBY, the International Board on Books for Young People (www.ibby.org), founded in 1953, represents an international network of people committed to bringing books and children together. IBBY Canada is one of over 70 national sections worldwide. IBBY Canada is a volunteer organization promoting quality French and English Canadian children's literature nationally and internationally. For more information, please visit www.ibby-canada.org.
