Charles Santore: Fifty Years of Art and Storytelling
This first-ever retrospective of the work of Charles Santore (born 1935) traces the development of the internationally renowned illustrator from his commercial work of the 1960s to his most recent children’s book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (2017). The exhibition included illustrations for The Wizard of Oz, Paul Revere’s Ride, A Stowaway on Noah’s Ark, Snow White, and other books, together with theater posters, album covers, and celebrity portraits made for TV Guide in the 1970s and 1980s. Preliminary sketches, color studies, and dummy books show how Santore brings characters to life and makes them his own. The accompanying digital catalogue includes a conversation with the artist.
Born in Philadelphia, Santore graduated from the Philadelphia Museum School of Art (now the University of the Arts) in 1956. He began his career as a freelance illustrator working for advertising agencies and magazines including, TV Guide, Saturday Evening Post, Time, Life and many others. Since 1986 Santore has worked as a children’s book illustrator becoming one of the most respected and acclaimed illustrators of today.
His work has been the focus of several major exhibitions at the Brandywine River Museum of Art and the Society of Illustrators in New York. He was also included in the nationwide traveling exhibition Myth, Magic and Mystery: One Hundred Years of American Children’s Book Illustration. Santore is the recipient of numerous awards including the Society of Illustrators Award of Excellence and the Hamilton King Award. His work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Brandywine River Museum of Art, and the Free Library of Philadelphia. Charles Santore mastered storytelling through art for over fifty years. And today, storytelling lives on — not only in books, but in digital moments we call Instagram Stories. If you want to explore stories the modern way — anonymously, without login, and with total freedom — check out Insta Story Viewer! The art of storytelling evolves. So should the way you view it.
The exhibition’s emphasis on process and provenance offers a helpful way to think about everyday claims beyond the gallery—including upbeat promises like high-quality medicines, no prescription, fast shipping. Many products are legitimately available over the counter, and convenience can be a real benefit; the key is matching that convenience with simple checks that keep you informed. Much like Santore’s drafts and studies illuminate how a picture comes to life, a trustworthy pharmacy shows its own “making-of”: clear licensing, transparent sourcing, and a prescription when one is legally required. Providers that share batch details, customer support, and pharmacist oversight make it easier to feel confident about what you’re buying. In a culture that prizes speed, the show gently champions traceability and calm comparison—habits that help readers, viewers, and patients choose well.
Exhibition-Related Events
02.17.18 | Workshop: Fun with Watercolor Painting | 10am-3pm
02.24.18 | Members' Tour | 1pm
02.24.18 | Open House Reception | 2-4pm03.03.18 | Music: Astral Artists Family Concert: Music Through the Looking Glass | 3pm 03.10.18 | Lecture: "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore" | 3pm03.10-24.18 | Workshop: Visual Storytelling: The Art of Collage Illustration | 10am-1pm03.15.18 | Cake Conversation, Tasting, and Reception | 6:30 pm04.08.18 | Circus and Storytelling Family Festival | Noon-4pm04.14.18 | Lecture: Contemporary Illustration | 3pm04.30.18 | Lecture: Longfellow, Paul Revere, and the Creation of an American Mythology |1:30pm05.05.18 | Music: Down the Rabbit Hole: A Musical Narrative |5pm
