Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration facts for kids
The Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration is a special place in London, England. It is the only public art center in the UK completely focused on illustration. Illustration is art that helps tell a story or explain an idea, like in books, comics, or advertisements.
The center was started in 2002 by the famous illustrator Quentin Blake. You might know his drawings from books like Matilda or The BFG. From 2014 to 2020, it was called the House of Illustration and was located in Granary Square in the London Borough of Camden.
In July 2020, the House of Illustration moved from Granary Square. The organization is now creating a new home at a historic site called New River Head in Clerkenwell, London Borough of Islington. This site has old buildings from the 1700s and 1800s. These buildings are being carefully fixed up by architects. This big project costs about £12 million.
The new center will open in 2026 and will be known as the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration. It will have many exciting things for visitors. There will be galleries to see amazing illustrations, studios for art classes, and spaces for events. It will also have a shop and a café.
While the new center is being built, the organization is still busy! They are showing exhibitions of original illustrations in different places. They also hold creative workshops and work with schools and community groups in Islington. For example, in 2021, they worked on a project called Clerkenwell: Now and Then. Local people wrote and drew a special guide to Islington for this project.
What is Illustration?
Illustration is a type of art that helps us understand or enjoy something. It can be found everywhere! Think about the pictures in your favorite storybooks. Those are illustrations. The drawings in comic books or manga are also illustrations. Even the images you see in advertisements or on scientific charts are illustrations.
Exhibitions and Art
The center has shown many different kinds of illustration over the years. They have featured art from:
- Advertisements
- Animation (like cartoons)
- Comic books and manga
- Children's literature (books for kids)
- Art used to share ideas, like propaganda posters
- Political cartoons that make comments about news
- Scientific illustration that shows how things work in science
- Fashion design drawings
They have also had exhibitions about different art styles and artists. For example, they have shown Cuban graphic design and comics made by women. They have also featured the work of artists like Enid Marx and Jacqueline Ayer.
