Blowing Rock Art & History Museum Showcases Mid-20th CenturyChildren’s Book Illustrations in New Exhibition
Symeon Shimin, Zeely, 1967, from Zeely by Virginia Hamilton, published 1967 by New York: Macmillan
Blowing Rock, N.C. (January 14, 2025)—The Blowing Rock Art & History Museum (BRAHM) presents Storyboard to Storybook: The Beulah Campbell Collection at Appalachian State University, an exhibition celebrating the creativity behind mid-20th-century children’s literature. Open now in the Rankin West and East Galleries, the exhibition runs through June 8, 2025.
Featuring more than 30 original illustrations, collages, and preparatory drawings, Storyboard to Storybook offers a behind-the-scenes look at how artists crafted iconic children’s stories. Spanning the 1950s to the 1980s, the collection explores themes of identity, heritage, and imagination, reflecting the shifting cultural landscape of the time.
The works are drawn from the Beulah Campbell Collection at Appalachian State University’s Belk Library Special Collections, a rich archive of children’s literature and illustration. Visitors will rediscover beloved stories while gaining a deeper appreciation for the artistic process behind them.
The exhibition delves into the intricate stages of book creation, showcasing manuscript mock-ups and printer’s proofs, which reveal the collaboration between authors and illustrators. At the gallery’s interactive Storyboard Station, visitors can craft their own narratives and explore the steps to building a compelling story arc.
Exhibition Events:
Studio Saturdays – January 18 Comics
Youth aged 12–18 are invited to join us at BRAHM every second Saturday from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. this winter and spring for directed studio time inspired by famous artists. Explore new styles and processes for making art. On January 18, BRAHM Educational Center Director Jennifer Garonzik and Appalachian State University’s comic-book professor Craig Fischer explore how the mix of words and pictures in comics can tell any story. It will begin with Professor Fischer offering three tips for creating cool comics. Then, participants will write and draw a four-panel comic strip. This workshop fulfills the requirements for the Girl Scouts’ Cadette Comic Artist Badge.
Free for the community. Reservations encouraged due to limited space. Visit blowingrockmuseum.org/calendar/studio-saturday.
Drawing to Tell Stories with Illustrator Christine Nishiyama and Craig Fischer
Thursday, February 6 • 6 – 7 p.m.
Join local children’s book author and illustrator Christine Nishiyama for a short slide show presentation and a drawing workshop on the power of pictures and how anyone can draw, no matter one’s age, experience, or skill level. This workshop is for general audiences of all ages. This program is presented in collaboration with High Country Humanities.
Free for the community. Reservations encouraged due to limited space. Visit blowingrockmuseum.org/calendar/draw
Beulah Campbell’s Legacy: Celebrating Children’s Literature and Art
Thursday, February 27 • 11 a.m. – noon
Many believe that literature serves as a window to the world for children, and Beulah Campbell embodied that belief throughout her life. As a professor of elementary education at Appalachian State University, she understood the vital connection between illustrations and text in children's books. Over her 40-year career, Campbell built a collection of original artwork by renowned children’s book illustrators, while also fostering a deep appreciation for children’s literature in her students. Speakers Margaret Gregor and Jackie Eagleson will discuss Cambell’s legacy and the art she collected.
General admission tickets are $8, and the member tickets are free. For more information and to register visit blowingrockmuseum.org/calendar/beulah.
About The Beulah Campbell Collection at Appalachian State University
Beulah Campbell, an influential educator at Appalachian State Teachers College, championed the artistic value of children’s book illustrations. In the 1970s, she began curating a personal collection to enhance her teaching, focusing on works by Caldecott and Kate Greenaway medalists.
The collection reflects a transformative era in children’s publishing, as illustrators embraced themes of social equality and cultural diversity. Campbell’s vision captured the evolving narrative power of illustrations and their role in shaping young minds. Today, her collection serves as an invaluable resource for exploring the intersection of art, storytelling, and education.
About the Special Collections Research Center University Libraries at Appalachian State University:
The Special Collections Research Center at Appalachian State University formed with the opening of the Carol Grotnes Belk Library and Information Commons in 2005.
The formation united three signature collections (W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Stock Car Racing Collection, and University Archives & Records) and began the development of the Rare Books & Manuscripts Collection.
The core mission of the Special Collections Research Center is to collect, preserve and provide access to original materials related to our primary collecting areas. We promote the use of our collections through exhibits, instruction, public programming, digitization and social media. In addition, we house thoughtfully curated research collections consisting of secondary source material related to the Appalachian region and stock car racing. Collections and activities support teaching, learning, research and scholarship at Appalachian State University and beyond.
About BRAHM
BRAHM’s mission is to curate, preserve, educate and inspire. Rooted in the creative cultures of Appalachia, BRAHM aims to cultivate a community that extends beyond its walls and region, positioning Western North Carolina as a leader in the arts. The 25,000-square-foot Blowing Rock Art and History Museum, known as BRAHM, opened its doors on October 1, 2011. Located off Main Street in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, BRAHM provides cultural enrichment by promoting the arts and history through educational programs, exhibitions and activities. The permanent collection of more than 600 objects includes works by Elliott Daingerfield, Maud Gatewood, Elizabeth Bradford, Mark Hewitt and other American impressionist and post- impressionist artists. Open year-round, BRAHM welcomes 24,000 visitors free of charge to experience 25 changing exhibitions. BRAHM also has an outreach education program that encourages arts education in local schools, daycares and senior centers. For more information, visit blowingrockmuseum.org.
