Maira Kalman is an American artist, illustrator, writer, and designer known for her painting and writing about the human condition. She is the author and illustrator of over 30 books for adults and children and her work is exhibited in museums around the world. She has been a regular contributor to ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' and ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
.''
Early life
Kalman was born in
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the ...
, Israel. Her mother, Sara Berman, was originally from
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...
and had moved to Israel to escape
pogrom
A pogrom () is a violent riot incited with the aim of massacring or expelling an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews. The term entered the English language from Russian to describe 19th- and 20th-century attacks on Jews in the Russia ...
s.
When Kalman was four years old, her family moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
. The family lived in
Riverdale, Bronx
Riverdale is a residential neighborhood in the northwestern portion of the New York City borough of the Bronx. Riverdale, which had a population of 47,850 as of the 2000 United States Census, contains the city's northernmost point, at the Coll ...
.
Her mother, Sara, spent a significant amount of time at the
Loehmann's
Loehmann's was an American retail company which started as a single store in Brooklyn, New York and grew to a chain of off-price department stores in the United States. The chain was best known for its "Back Room", where women interested in fash ...
department store.
She was known for her chic style, and she wore only the color white.
Kalman attended the
High School of Music & Art
The High School of Music & Art, informally known as "Music & Art" (or "M&A"), was a public specialized high school located at 443-465 West 135th Street in the borough of Manhattan, New York, from 1936 until 1984. In 1961, Music & Art and the High ...
(now known as
LaGuardia High School
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, often referred to simply as LaGuardia, is a public high school specializing in teaching visual arts and performing arts, located near Lincoln Center in the Lincoln Square n ...
) where she studied art. Kalman attended
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, th ...
(NYU), where she studied English literature. By the time Kalman had left for college, her parents had returned to Israel.
At the age of 18, Kalman met designer
Tibor Kalman
Tibor George Kalman (July 6, 1949 – May 2, 1999) was an American graphic designer of Hungarian origin, well known for his work as editor-in-chief of ''Colors'' magazine.
Early life
Kalman was born on July 6, 1949, in Budapest, to parents Ma ...
at New York University, he was a native of
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
who had moved to New York City as a child.
She explained, "We met in this class of misfits in summer school. They said, What was interesting was the mix of crazy people in that group... So we met there, and he asked me out on a date. And you know in your life, when you meet somebody
ndyou go, 'I've known you for a thousand years,' and there's not even an iota of a question?"
Career
M&Co.
In 1979, Tibor founded the graphic and design consultancy,
M&Co. and Maira played an important role in the development of the company.
She never actually worked at M & Co. but offered ideas, suggestions, and support.
The firm grew to be highly influential; it was known for its innovative use of images and typography.
M & Co. created work for ''
Interview
An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" ...
'' magazine, Restaurant Florent, the band
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.[Talki ...](_blank)
, the
National Audubon Society, and the
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
.
Inter-disciplinary arts practice
Kalman's priorities began to shift with the birth of her children in the 1980s.
Beginning in the mid-1980s, Kalman began to publish children's book. Her first children's book, ''Stay Up Late'' (1985), featured illustrations paired lyrics of musician
David Byrne. The book told the story of children who prevent their baby brother from falling asleep.
After Tibor passed in 1999, Maira Kalman began creatively asserting herself, writing more than 20 books over the years.
As mentioned in an interview in 2019, Kalman notes how she always had a passion for writing, and that she was always interested in the field. Kalman did not consider herself just a writer, but addressed that she was a storyteller, a journalist, a designer and a humorist. Over the course of her career, Kalman has written a series of children's books about Max Stravinsky, the poet-dog. She created the sets for the
Mark Morris Dance Group production of ''
Four Saints in Three Acts
''Four Saints in Three Acts'' is an opera composed in 1928 by Virgil Thomson, setting a libretto written in 1927 by Gertrude Stein. It contains about 20 saints and is in at least four acts. It was groundbreaking in form, content, and for its all-b ...
'', an opera by
Virgil Thompson and
Gertrude Stein
Gertrude Stein (February 3, 1874 – July 27, 1946) was an American novelist, poet, playwright, and art collector. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the Allegheny West neighborhood and raised in Oakland, California, Stein moved to Paris ...
.
In addition, she has been a contributor for ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' since 1995 and has produced many cover illustrations as well as illustrated columns. Most notably, Kalman collaborated with
Rick Meyerowitz
Rick Meyerowitz (born November 29, 1943) is an American artist, and author. He is best known for his work for '' National Lampoon'' magazine and its spin-offs, including his poster for the comedy film ''Animal House''.
Early life
Meyerowitz was ...
for ''The New Yorker'' December 2001 cover, called
New Yorkistan
"New Yorkistan" is the title of the cover art for the December 10, 2001 edition of ''The New Yorker'' magazine. Inspired by a conversation while driving through the Bronx, it was created by Maira Kalman and Rick Meyerowitz who did the actual paint ...
. This cover created a lot of attention to the public since the magazine tackled
tribalism
Tribalism is the state of being organized by, or advocating for, tribes or tribal lifestyles. Human evolution has primarily occurred in small hunter-gatherer groups, as opposed to in larger and more recently settled agricultural societies or civ ...
in the city. The magazine emptied the newsstands within two days.
In 2002, Kalman's children's book, ''Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of John J. Harvey'', was released. This focuses on New York City's more recent terror attack on the twin towers.
September 11, 2001
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...
, marks the day in which the twin towers fell.
John J. Harvey
''John J. Harvey'' is a fireboat formerly of the New York City Fire Department in New York City, famed for returning to service following the September 11, 2001 attacks. She is among the most powerful fireboats ever built, capable of pumping up ...
served for the
World Trade Center
World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association.
World Trade Center may refer to:
Buildings
* List of World Trade Centers
* World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...
attack, being one of the first responding boats arriving to the attacks that day. This book educates many young individuals who may not have been around at the time.
This book actively describes the history behind Harvey and the importance of this day.
The urban environment of
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
brings Kalman's creativity to life and has also drawn inspiration from the city's geography and well known landmarks.
Her
picture book
A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The images ...
both written and illustrated by Kalman, ''Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey'' won the annual
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award
The Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards are a set of American literary awards conferred by
''The Boston Globe'' and ''The Horn Book Magazine'' annually from 1967. One book is recognized in each of four categories: Fiction and Poetry, Nonfiction, and P ...
for Nonfiction in 2003.
In 2005, Kalman is also known for her illustrations for the 2005 edition of ''
The Elements of Style
''The Elements of Style'' is an American English writing style guide in numerous editions. The original was written by William Strunk Jr. in 1918, and published by Harcourt in 1920, comprising eight "elementary rules of usage", ten "elementary ...
'', the popular guide to writing style, by
William Strunk
William Strunk Jr. (July 1, 1869 – September 26, 1946) was an American professor of English at Cornell University and author of ''The Elements of Style'' (1918). After revision and enlargement by his former student E. B. White, it became a highly ...
.
She also designed production sets for an opera about Gertrude Stein.
Kalman wrote the monthly illustrated blog from April 2006 to April 2007, ''The Principles of Uncertainty'', for the ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. The blog was published in a book of the same title, which was released in 2007. During 2009, Kalman wrote another illustrated blog in The New York Times called ''And the Pursuit of Happiness'' about American democracy. The blog was published as a book in 2010. The first chapter chronicles her visit to
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
for President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
's inauguration. Kalman's work is also featured on
Rosenbach Museum and Library's 21st Century Abe project.
Kalman crafted the illustrations for author
Daniel Handler
Daniel Handler (born February 28, 1970) is an American author, musician, screenwriter, television writer, and television producer. He is best known for his children's book series ''A Series of Unfortunate Events'' and ''All the Wrong Questions ...
's Lemony Snicket series including the books, ''
13 Words
This is a list of books by Lemony Snicket, the pen name of American author Daniel Handler. Works published under the name Daniel Handler are not included. Handler, as Snicket, has published 26 fiction novels, thirteen in the main ''A Series of Un ...
'' (2010) and ''
Why We Broke Up'' (2011). The two went on to collaborate on a illustrated book, ''Girls Standing on Lawns'', published in 2014 by
The Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of th ...
. Exploring MoMA's collection of photography, Kalman and Handler combined vintage photographs with Kalman's paintings and Handler's prose.
In 2014, ''My Favorite Things'', by Maira Kalman, was published by
Harper Design, a division of
HarperCollins
HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News ...
. The book focused on significant objects from the
Cooper Hewitt and the personal collection of Kalman, such as a pocket watch possessed by
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
, original editions of ''
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creature ...
'' and ''
Winnie-the-Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh Bear and Pooh, is a fictional anthropomorphic teddy bear created by English author A. A. Milne and English illustrator E. H. Shepard.
The first collection of stories about the character was the book ''Win ...
'', and photographs that Kalman had taken.
In 2017, she was awarded the
AIGA Medal
Following is a list of AIGA medalists who have been awarded the American Institute of Graphic Arts medal.
On its website, AIGA says "The medal of the AIGA, the most distinguished in the field, is awarded to individuals in recognition of their ex ...
for her work in "storytelling, illustration, and design while pushing the limits of all three."
In the summer of 2017, Kalman collaborated with choreographer John Heginbotham to produce a theatrical and dance interpretation of Kalman's blog, ''The Principles of Uncertainty''. It debuted in late August at Jacob's Pillow, and had its New York premier at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Fisher in late September. Kalman performed in the piece, playing herself.
Then in the Fall of that year, Kalman was a resident at the
American Academy in Rome
The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo (Janiculum Hill) in Rome.
The academy is a member of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers.
History
In 1893, a group of American architects, ...
.
From November 2019 to April 2020, Kalman's publications were exhibited at the
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is a museum devoted to the art of the picture book and especially the children's book. It is a member of Museums10 and is adjacent to the campus of Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. The Carle wa ...
in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Exhibitions
List of select exhibitions by Kalman:
*2003 – Just Looking, Julie Saul Gallery, New York, NY
*2005 – I Can't Stand All the Excitement, Julie Saul Gallery, New York, NY
*2007 – The Principles of Uncertainty, Julie Saul Gallery, New York, NY
* 2008 – Just Looking, Beihang University, Beijing, China
* 2009 – The Elements of Style, Memorial Art Gallery, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
* 2010 –
Contemporary Jewish Museum
The Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM) is a non-collecting museum at 736 Mission Street at Yerba Buena Lane in the South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The museum, which was founded in 1984, is located in the historic ...
, San Francisco, CA;
Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
* 2010 – Further Illuminations, Julie Saul Gallery, New York, NY
* 2010 – Various Illuminations (of a Crazy World),
The Jewish Museum
The Jewish Museum is an art museum and repository of cultural artifacts, housed at 1109 Fifth Avenue, in the former Felix M. Warburg House, along Museum Mile on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City. The first Jewish museum in the Unit ...
, New York, NY;
Skirball Cultural Center
The Skirball Cultural Center, founded in 1996, is a Jewish educational institution in Los Angeles, California. The center, named after philanthropist-couple Jack H. Skirball and Audrey Skirball-Kenis, features a museum with regularly changing e ...
, Los Angeles, CA
* 2011 – 25 Years/25 Artists, Julie Saul Gallery, New York, NY
* 2011 – Storied City: New York in Picture Book Art,
Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, NY
* 2012 – 37 Paintings, Julie Saul Gallery, New York, NY
* 2013 – What Pete Ate from A to Z,
Madison Children's Museum, Madison, Wisconsin
* 2014 – Girls Standing on Lawns and Other Projects, Julie Saul Gallery, New York, New York
* 2014 – Maira Kalman: My Favorite Things,
The Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, New York, NY
* 2014 – The Elements of Style,
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville, TN
* 2014 – Thomas Jefferson Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Everything,
Monticello
Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, V ...
, Charlottesville, VA
* 2015 – Sara Berman's Closet,
Mmuseumm, New York City, New York
* 2017 – Sara Berman's Closet, in collaboration with Alex Kalman,
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
, New York City, New York
* 2019 – The Pursuit of Everything: Maira Kalman's Books for Children,
The High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia
* 2022 – Women Holding Things, Mary Ryan Gallery, New York City
Personal life
Maira Kalman married designer
Tibor Kalman
Tibor George Kalman (July 6, 1949 – May 2, 1999) was an American graphic designer of Hungarian origin, well known for his work as editor-in-chief of ''Colors'' magazine.
Early life
Kalman was born on July 6, 1949, in Budapest, to parents Ma ...
in 1981.
Over the course of their marriage, Maira and Tibor had two children, Lulu Bodoni and Alexander Onomatopoeia.
They were married eighteen years until Tibor's death from
non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), also known as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, is a group of hematological malignancy, blood cancers that includes all types of lymphomas except Hodgkin lymphomas. Symptoms include lymphadenopathy, enlarged lymph nodes, fever ...
in 1999.
Her children attended the
City and Country School in
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...
.
Kalman's mother, Sara Berman, was the early source to her inspiration behind storytelling and book reading. As a mother daughter activity, Kalman and her mother would go to the library and connect themselves to the characters of the books they would read. In 2017, Kalman and her son Alexander got together with coordinators of
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
and created an exhibit dedicated to Kalman's mother called "Sara Berman's Closet."
''Sara Berman's Closet'' also became a memoir that Kalman and her son worked on in dedication to their loved family member.
In 2014, Kalman has also performed in a production of ''
Peter & the Wolf
''Peter and the Wolf'' ( rus, Петя и Bолк, r="Pétya i volk", p=ˈpʲetʲə i volk, links=no) Op. 67, a "symphonic fairy tale for children", is a musical composition written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. The narrator tells a children's s ...
'' directed by
Isaac Mizrahi
Isaac Mizrahi (born October 14, 1961) is an American fashion designer, television presenter and chief designer of the Isaac Mizrahi brand for Xcel Brands. Based in New York City, he is best known for his eponymous fashion lines. Mizrahi was prev ...
at the Guggenheim's Peter B. Lewis Theater in New York City. Kalman's character is the duck, which is represented by the sound of an oboe.
Kalman lives in
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...
in New York City.
Bibliography
References
External links
*
*
*
"The illustrated woman" (TED2007)Maira Kalman in conversationwith
Paul Holdengraber at LIVE from the
New York Public Library October 23, 2007
Studio Visit: Maira Kalman ''
The Paris Review
''The Paris Review'' is a quarterly English-language literary magazine established in Paris in 1953 by Harold L. Humes, Peter Matthiessen, and George Plimpton. In its first five years, ''The Paris Review'' published works by Jack Kerouac, Phil ...
''
Interview with Maira Kalmanin ''
Nashville Review''
*
"Maira Kalman: Various Illuminations (of a Crazy World)" Exhibition (2011)at the
Jewish Museum A Jewish museum is a museum which focuses upon Jews and may refer seek to explore and share the Jewish experience in a given area.
List of Jewish museums
Notable Jewish museums include:
*Albania
** Solomon Museum, Berat
*Australia
** Jewish Mu ...
, New York
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kalman, Maira
1949 births
American children's book illustrators
American children's writers
American women illustrators
American women children's writers
American graphic designers
The High School of Music & Art alumni
Israeli children's writers
Israeli emigrants to the United States
Israeli graphic designers
Israeli illustrators
Israeli women illustrators
Israeli women children's writers
Israeli Jews
Jewish women artists
Jewish American artists
Living people
The New Yorker people
People from Tel Aviv
American women graphic designers
21st-century American Jews
21st-century American women
AIGA medalists