Kadir Nelson: An Artist and an Inspiration

1. Kadir Nelson: An Artist and an Inspiration A Creator Report by Dorothy M. Smail Grade Levels: Intermediate (3-5) Content Areas: Reading, Writing, and Art

2. Kadir Nelson: An Artist and an Inspiration hope nobility courage beauty strength healing integrity A picture is worth a thousand words.

3. He began drawing at age 3, painting at age 10, and painting with oils by age 16. • His uncle, an art teacher, inspired him to become an artist and provided him with supplies and training. • He graduated from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York with high honors. Early Life

4. Artistic Style • Kadir usually uses oils when he paints. • His works focus mainly on African American culture and history. • His works are easily recognized because of the strength and emotion portrayed in his characters. • His subjects seem to “come to life”. • He likes to draw about “everyday people doing everyday things in extraordinary ways” (Nelson, 2009).

5. What Inspires Him? “My work is about healing and giving people a sense of hope and nobility. I want to show the strength and integrity of the human spirit” (Kadir Nelson)

6. Artistic Highlights • Mr. Nelson has created works for Sports Illustrated, Coca-Cola, the United States Postal Service, and Major League Baseball. • Early in his career he created works for movie studios. He was the lead artist for Stephen Speilberg’sAmistad and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron.

7. Children’s Books • In 1999, Kadir began working with notable authors to illustrate children’s books. • So far, he has illustrated 21 books. • He is the winner of many book awards including the: • Caldecott Honor Award in both 2007 and 2008 for Henry’s Freedom Box and Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom • NAACP Image Award for Just the Two of Us • Coretta Scott King Award for Thunder Rose, Ellington was not a Street, Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, and We are the Ship: The Story of the Negro Baseball League

8. Influential Leaders

9. Athletes

10. Musicians and Dancers

11. Extraordinary, Everyday People

12. When Kadir illustrates, he does not follow a strict set of rules. • He believes it is important to be relaxed so that the ideas will flow freely. • “You got to let it do its thing” (Kadir Nelson) • He starts with an idea inspired by such things as music, news, and his surroundings. • Then he researches the idea and begins sketching. How Does He Do It?

13. The Making of A Change Has Come Click on the video below to learn more about the author’s book A Change Has Come and how he creates his illustrations.

14. The Making of We Are the Ship:The Story of Negro League Baseball Click on the video below to listen to Kadir Nelson talk about Negro League Baseball and the making of his book.

15. A Letter from Kadir Nelson Click on the link below to read a letter written to you by Kadir Nelson: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=38913_type=Contributor_typeId=2437 Remember to watch the slide show! Mr. Nelson explains how he illustrates a book.

16. To learn more about Kadir Nelson, visit the following websites: • Author’s Website: http://www.kadirnelson.com • Reading Rockets biography and video: http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/nelson • Interview with Author:http://bwibooks.com/articles/kadir-nelson.php More Information

17. Image Resources • All images were copied from Kadir Nelson’s Website @ http://www.kadirnelson.comexcept the following: • Slide 2: Basketball Players @ http://www.thecollectionshop.com/Image_Resize_Medium.asp?MiscImage=the1 • Slide 2: Baseball Players @ http://attachments.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=541213&stc=1&d=1229348900 • Slide 2: Henry’s Freedom Box @ http://www.1stedition.net • Slide 2: Girl @ http://www.blackartdepot.com/gallery/kadirnelson/crops/nelson32.jpg • Slide 3: Washington, D.C. @ http://www.grosvenorfund.com/images/mapdata/dc.jpg • Slide 3: Pratt Institute @ http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2173/2201499030_52942d9a11.jpg?v=0 • Slide 4: Artist’s Palette @ http://art-supplies-plus.com/images/palette_with_paint.gif • Slide 4: Harriett Tubman @ http://www.blackartdepot.com/gallery/kadirnelson/crops/nelson27.jpg • Slide 5: Kadir Nelson @ http://www.thegrio.com/assets_c/2010/01/Kadir Nelson 3x4-thumb-400xauto-5902.jpg

18. Image Resources cont. • Slide 5: Shirley Chisholm @ http://blog-aroundharlem.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/shirley-chisholm.jpg • Slide 5: Man with Banjo @ http://www.blackartdepot.com/gallery/kadirnelson/crops/nelson28.jpg • Slide 5: Family @ http://llovely.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/kadir-nelson-family-tree.jpg • Slide 6: Caldecott Medal @ http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/mediapresscenter/presskits/youthmediaawards/caldecott.gif • Slide 6: NAACP Image Award @ http://tmottgogo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/award_naacp3.jpg • Slide 6: Coretta Scott King Authors’ Award @ http://www.franklin.lib.oh.us/files/corettascottking.jpg • Slide 12: Author Illustrating @ http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aPqQlYrsm8M/R6ILlFYatWI/AAAAAAAAA8U/ln3IVa5a3yo/s1600-h/KadirNelson1.jpg • Slide 15: Author in his Office @ http://www.kadirnelson.com/images/press/unionTribune6.jpg

19. References and Websites References • Music: Swamp Goo by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra and Russell Procope from the album TheGreatest Jazz Concert of All Time. Released 1975 by Pablo Records. Downloaded from iTunes. • Biography Information: http://www.kadirnelson.com/ • Author Quotes About Art: http://www.thegrio.com Websites • Scholastic Site for Author’s Letter: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=38913_type=Contributor_typeId=2437 • Author’s Home Page: http://www.kadirnelson.com/ • Reading Rockets Biography and Video: http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/nelson • Author Interview: http://bwibooks.com/articles/kadir-nelson.php • BBC Video downloaded from YouTube.