Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art Releases 2026 Exhibition Schedule
Book cover for The Story of Ferdinand illustrated by Robert Lawson and written by Munro Leaf, 1936.
Upcoming exhibitions at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art include a focus on The Story of Ferdinand, Carle's modernist inspirations, and the connection between fiber arts and picture books.
Leading the way in 2026 at the museum in in Amherst, Massachusetts, will be Under the Cork Tree: The Story of Ferdinand (May 9–November 8) celebrating the story that turns 90 this year. The book has never been out of print, and has been translated into more than 60 languages, as well as several movies. The exhibition includes Robert Lawson’s finished drawings, his book dummy, and Munro Leaf’s manuscript, as well as materials related to the 1938 Walt Disney Studios animated film.
Running from September 19 through September 5, 2027, will be Art/Art: Eric Carle’s Modernist Inspirations examining the modernist movements and artists that shaped Eric Carle’s visual language of geometry, abstraction, and bold color. The exhibition traces Carle’s formative years in Germany, when his art teacher secretly introduced him to the so-called “degenerate” artists banned by the regime, making a lasting impression on Carle’s own work. The exhibition will highlight his admiration for the Bauhaus school and the Der Blaue Reiter group, presenting selections from his oeuvre in dialogue with works by modernist figures such as Anni Albers, Marc Chagall, Sonia Delaunay, Shizuo Fujimori, Paul Klee, Oscar Kokoschka, Fernand Leger, August Macke, René Magritte, Franz Marc, and Pablo Picasso.
Finally, Weaving Words: Fiber Arts and Picture Books (November 21-May 2, 2027) which will explore the connection between fiber arts and picture books over the past 60 years of illustration history, and how artists have experimented with materials to replicate intricate textures. The exhibition will feature 30 examples including work by Remy Charlip, Juana Martinez-Neal, Andrea Shine, and Simms Taback.
Current exhibitions that will continue to run in 2026 include Sprites, Spells, and Splashes: Magical Beings in Picture Book Art (until April 26) and Cooking with Eric Carle (through August 23).
