First Friday: Pattern by Sophie Blackall

OPENING NIGHT
-Free & open to all ages
-Hands-on activities for kids in our Create Studio with: Lynchburg Public Library, Amherst County Public Library, The Scrappy Elephant, and The Pink Flamingo Play Cafe
-Button making in the main gallery
-A selection of Sophie Blackall children’s books for sale, including Farmhouse
-Concessions, snacks, and drinks

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Pattern highlights works of art by Sophie Blackall, an award-winning illustrator of over 50 children’s books. Inspired by the recent revitalization of her farm, Milkwood, a creative retreat for the children’s book community, the pieces on view explore the layers and collages that shape our lives. Focusing on collective, generational, and individual memories, the exhibition celebrates our emotional connections to place and to the objects we hold dear. The exhibition is curated by Alex Grabiec, an artist, curator, and educator based in rural Virginia.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Sophie Blackall is an award-winning illustrator of over 50 books for children, including the New York Times best-selling Ivy and Bean series, the 2016 Caldecott Medal winner, Finding Winnie and the 2019 Caldecott Medal winner, Hello Lighthouse, which she also wrote.

She is the five-time recipient of The New York Times Best Illustrated Picture Book Award and has worked with UNICEF and Save the Children, UK on global health and literacy initiatives. Originally from Australia, she now splits her time between Brooklyn, New York, and the Catskill Mountains, where she and her husband run a retreat for the children’s book community called Milkwood Farm.

EXHIBITION DATES
September 5, 2025 through Thursday, October 16, 2025.