The Sendak Fellowship

The Sendak Fellowship, a core Program of The Maurice Sendak Foundation, is a residency that encourages, teaches and supports artists who tell stories with illustration.

For many years, Maurice Sendak wanted to create an ongoing program for what he had been doing informally his whole career: mentoring promising illustrators. As a young illustrator himself, Sendak was nurtured in the Connecticut home of Ruth Krauss (A Hole Is To Dig) and Crockett Johnson (Harold and the Purple Crayon). Though Sendak, on occasion, taught illustrating and the art of the picture book in formal educational settings (Parsons School of Design, Yale, etc.), he wanted to create a more intimate setting for passing on his knowledge and artistic wisdom.

In 2009, Maurice Sendak enlisted the help of his long-time assistant, Lynn Caponera, as well as photographer and community activist Dona Ann McAdams to help realize his vision of a residency for illustrators and in 2010 The Sendak Fellowship was founded. Though Sendak was only able to greet and mentor two groups of Fellows before his passing, his legacy was carried on each year.

Once a year, The Sendak Fellowship offers a four-week residency for two to four artists to live and work away from the distractions of their daily routines. It gives artists the opportunity to deeply engage in their work in the relative isolation of a rural setting. While receiving inspiration from each other, the Fellows gain insight from visiting artists and professionals in the field. Much of Maurice’s original work is available for viewing by the Fellows, an education in itself. Throughout the Fellowship guest illustrators and writers lead wide-ranging discussions on publishing, illustrating, writing, and the creative process.

The goal of The Sendak Fellowship, in Maurice’s words, is for the Fellows to “ . . . create work that is not vapid or stupid, but original; work that excites and incites. Illustration is like dance; it should move like—and to—music.”

Sendak Fellows

2010
Antoinette Portis, Aaron Renier, Paul Schmid, Rowboat Watkins

2011
Ali Bahrampour, Frann Preston-Gannon, Sergio Ruzzier, Denise Saldutti Egielski

2012
Gerardo Blumenkrantz, Tor Freeman, Alice Lickens

2013
Jessica Ahlberg, Ian Andrew, Marc Rosenthal, Sara Varon

2014
Harry Bliss, Nora Krug

2015
Richard Egielski, Marc McChesney, Doug Salati, Stephen Savage

2016
Elisha Cooper, Jenni Desmond, Yuyi Morales

2017
The Fan Brothers – Terry and Eric Fan, Rashin Kheiriyeh, Eliza Wheeler

2023
Sophie Gilmore, Hannah Salyer, Dena Seiferling, Bruno Zocca