James Barkley facts for kids

James Barkley is an American artist and illustrator from Pleasantville, New York. He is also a professor who teaches art. James Barkley has created many different types of art. He has worked on children's books, book covers, and even classic novels. His art has also appeared in advertising, on TV, in newspapers, and in magazines. He is also known for painting portraits of famous people and important political figures.

A Career in Art and Teaching

James Barkley is a professor at the Parsons School of Design and the University of Bridgeport. At these schools, he teaches students about art and illustration. He has also given special talks at other well-known art schools. These include the Pratt Institute, Marymount College, and the School of Visual Arts. He has also been a leader at the Society of Illustrators, which is a group for artists.

Famous Artworks and Projects

Barkley has illustrated books for many famous writers. These include Pearl S. Buck, Stephen King, James Baldwin, and Alex Haley. He also created artwork for popular operas like The Merry Widow, Madame Butterfly, and La bohème.

His art has been used by many big organizations and companies. He has painted for National Geographic magazine and the United Nations. He also worked for the U.S. Department of the Interior, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Postal Service. His art has appeared with companies like NBC, IBM, General Foods, PepsiCo, Sony, and Columbia Pictures. You might have also seen his work in magazines like Esquire and McCall's.

James Barkley's art has been shown in important places. These include the Norman Rockwell Museum and the Smithsonian Institution.

He also illustrated the covers for several books. Some of these are A Torrent of Faces, The CTZ Paradigm, Ladis and the Ant, and Sounder by William H. Armstrong. Barkley also designed the album cover for The O'Jays' Ship Ahoy album.

Beyond Art: Community Involvement

Outside of his art career, James Barkley also helped start something special. He was a co-founder of the Spartan Football Club in New York. This club is a non-profit organization, which means it helps the community without trying to make money.