Louis Darling: Drawing the Words of Beverly Cleary

The museum will mark Beverly Cleary’s 100th birthday with the exhibition Louis Darling: Drawing the Words of Beverly Cleary. Darling’s iconic images brought Cleary’s beloved characters Ramona, Beezus, Henry Huggins, Ellen Tibbets, and Ralph S. Mouse to life. 

As an illustrator at William Morrow and Company, Darling was assigned to Cleary’s first book, Henry Huggins, in 1950. Thus began their twenty-year association. Darling illustrated most of Cleary’s early books—twelve in total—before his untimely death. Though Cleary’s stories have since been re-illustrated, it was Darling’s vision–matched with Cleary’s words–that helped define these stories as modern classics. Louis Darling: Drawing the Words of Beverly Cleary will feature preliminary sketches, finished artwork, correspondence between author and illustrator, and period photographs.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website