The African-American Research Library and Cultural Center presents
 
The 5th Ashley Bryan Art Series Conference 2007

About the Conference

The Ashley Bryan Art Series Conference (ABASC) is a continuing education series for librarians, teachers and literacy professionals, and others engaged in the use of children’s literature to improve literacy and reading appreciation. The conference provides resources to study the lives and works of authors and illustrators and their creative philosophies. Attendees are also introduced to African-centered art forms, including storytelling, music, song, dance and crafts.

The ABAC is an artwork collection of illustrators of African descent. The ABAC starts with eight original pieces by Ashley Bryan that were donated to the AARLCC by Dr. Henrietta M. Smith and each year adding to its prestigious collection. The artists’ works are deposited in the archives of the AARLCC and are available to researchers, as well as for exhibitions. The Ashley Bryan Art Series Conference (ABASC) is a continuing education series for librarians, teachers and literacy professionals, and others engaged in the use of children’s literature to improve literacy and reading appreciation. The conference provides resources to study the lives and works of authors and illustrators and their creative philosophies. Attendees are also introduced to African-centered art forms, including storytelling, music, song, dance and crafts.

Henrietta M. Smith Ed. D. is Professor Emerita on the faculty of the School of Library and Information Science, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida.

During her distinguished career, Dr. Smith became the first African-American to hold a faculty position at the University of South Florida (USF) School of Library and Information Science.

A prolific author, Dr. Smith has been a contributor to, Women of Color In Librarianship, edited by Dr. Kathleen de la Pena McCook, as well as the Coretta Scott King Task Force, The Coretta Scott King Book Awards: From Vision to Reality (1994) and The Coretta Scott King Book Awards 1970-1999 (1999).

Since 1964, Jerry Pinkney has illustrated over 75 children’s picture books. His detailed watercolor illustrations have won five Coretta Scott King Awards and five Caldecott Honor Medals (including a 2003 Honor for Noah’s Ark). Many of Jerry Pinkney’s books address African American, multicultural, and historical themes. He has adapted and illustrated many classic tales such as Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling. Jerry Pinkney collaborates regularly with authors Julius Lester, Patricia McKissack, Robert San Souci, and his wife, Gloria Jean Pinkney. In addition to children’s books, Jerry’s artwork has appeared in museums, magazines, greeting cards, and on U.S. postage stamps. Two of his children, Myles and Brian, have also become successful children’s book illustrators.

Jerry Pinkney was born in Philadelphia in 1939. As a child, Pinkney loved art and his talent was recognized. Because of his dyslexia, Pinkney had a hard time with reading and spelling, and, even today, reads slowly. In a Reading Rockets video interview, Pinkney stated, “...one of the things that drawing did for me was help my self-esteem. Because even though I knew that there was a struggle in the area of reading and spelling – because I lagged far behind my fellow students – I could make pictures.”

Despite his difficulties with reading and spelling, he graduated from elementary school with honors. As early as the first grade, Jerry became known as the class artist. His parents and teachers recognized, supported, and encouraged his artistic talents. After graduating from Dobbins Vocational School in Commercial Art, Jerry Pinkney received a full scholarship to attend the Philadelphia Museum College of Art. He met his wife, Gloria Jean, while studying at Dobbins. Jerry and Gloria Jean Pinkney later moved to Boston.

After working as a designer at Rustcraft Greeting Card Company in Boston, Pinkney gained a reputation for his work as an illustrator at Barker-Black Studio. He opened a studio with several other artists, and later opened his Jerry Pinkney Studio. He and his family then moved to New York.

They exposed their children to a wide variety of visual, musical, and performing arts, but did so without pressure or expectation.

The list of awards Pinkney has won is extensive and includes the following:

Multiple Caldecott Honor Books, Multiple Coretta Scott King Awards, Multiple Coretta Scott King Honor Books, Drexel Citation for Children's Literature and The Virginia Hamilton Literary Award.

In addition, his children's picture books have appeared on the notable books lists of both the American Library Association (ALA) and the National Council of Social Studies/Children's Book Council.



Dr. Cora P. Dunkley is an Assistant Professor in the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Florida where she teaches storytelling, children’s, young adult and multicultural literature, and the organization and administration of the school media center. Her research and publications focus on multicultural literature for children and young adults, the school media center and its effects on student learning and diversity in librarianship. In March 2006, Dr. Dunkley and a coworker received an innovative teaching grant for their proposal, “Enhancing Student Performance and Developing Self assessment Models through Web-based and Blended Courses.” She recently produced and presented a video at the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color entitled “Two Florida Librarians: Change Makers in the Profession.” Dr. Dunkley hails from Dixie, Georgia (Brooks County) and currently resides in Tampa. She received her undergraduate degree in English from Fort Valley State College (University), a Master of Science degree in Library Science from Atlanta University (Clark-Atlanta) and a Doctor of Philosophy in Library Science from Florida State University.

David Goboff has a BFA in theatre from Adelphi University. Shortly after graduating he started working with computer application software. Puppetry started as a spare time pursuit and a family activity. Simply Puppets! is now a South Florida family based performance company that performs orginal productions in classrooms, libraries, community centers and museums. David is also the current president of The Puppet Guild of South Florida, a local puppet organization that is chartered by The Puppeteers of America.

Ronni Gerstel fell in love with the magic of puppetry in her youth. She briefly gave up the art after discovering she could accomplish much more by manipulating real boys. However, she returned to her first love upon relocating to Florida with her young family in 1990. Since then, Ronni has been creating and performing educational programs in schools throughout Palm Beach County as “Flamingo Park Puppets.” In Addition, she is the only puppetry artist on the roster of the Center for Creative Education, through which she has won multiple awards for her work. One such collaboration is featured on the DVD, “Project LEAP: Learning Out Loud.”