Bryan Collier draws a lot of his inspiration as an artist from the work he does with children in schools. He has noted in his website (www.bryancollier.com), “I get so much from those school visits…I ask the students to talk to me and talk to each other about what they feel and what their experiences are. Basically I ask them to tell their own story. Then I ask them to tell their own story through art.”

In 1985 Bryan Collier won first place in a Congressional competition that led to having his art displayed at the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. Later that year he was awarded a scholarship to Pratt Institute in New York City through Pratt’s national talent competition. In 1989, he graduated with honors from Pratt. For twelve years he directed the Harlem Horizon Art Studio, an art program for children and teens before becoming a full time illustrator.

Uptown, his first illustrated book of  “dazzling paint-and-photo collages”, as described by Kirkus Reveiws, received the 2001 Coretta Scott King Award, the Ezra Jack Keats Award for New Illustrator, the Marian Vannett Ridgway Award for a first-time author and illustrator. He has received high praise for other books he has illustrated since his auspicious debut, including the Coretta Scott Honor for Freedom River, Visiting Langston, and Martin’s Big Words, which also received a Caldecott Honor. All of these books also were listed as Notable books by the American Library Association.

We look forward to hearing Bryan Collier’s own story.

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