Raúl Colón returns to NCCIL with new exhibit

Contributed by the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature

Step into a world where imagination knows no bounds as the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature (NCCIL) proudly presents the vibrant art of Raúl Colón this fall.

Born in New York City in 1952, Colón later moved with his parents to Caguas, Puerto Rico, where he studied commercial art. In 1978, he made his way back to the mainland United States when he moved to Miami, Fla., to work at an educational television center. There, he designed everything from puppets to short, animated films. Colón settled with his family in New City, a cozy, quiet suburb of New York, in 1988. Since then, he’s built a celebrated career in commercial and children’s book illustration, with his art appearing in subway station murals, CD covers, major editorials, and museums and galleries worldwide.

The NCCIL is hosting Colón’s work for the second time in its 26-year history. The artist first visited the museum in 2012 for his exhibition Tall Tales and Huge Hearts. This fall’s revitalized version breathes new life into his work, drawing a path from Colón’s earliest projects to the past 11 years of his career. New additions include art from wordless books like Draw! as well as celebrations of American multiculturalism such as The Little House of Hope and Light for All.

Illustrators don’t often pick and choose their picture book assignments. Rather, they are handed projects by their editors. The artist then faces the challenge of finding inspiration in the text — a picture hiding inside the story, just begging to be illustrated.

“If I don’t see it, I’m not interested,” Colón says.