A
tall order to fill.
Keeping
children interested and engaged is a tall order for adults, Evans has found
a connection with youth through art. Shane W. Evans is an artist and illustrator
who travels around the world sharing
experiences, stories and the gift of art and creative expression. Through his
world journeys he has assembled a unique presentation of international beauty
that demonstrates artistic influences and communicates the wonders of humanity.
Speaking to audiences around the globe, his presentations are specifically
tailored to each audience combining storytelling, slide presentations and art
workshops for people of all ages and backgrounds. Mr.Evans has illustrated
numerous children’s books which have been featured on The Oprah Winfrey
Show, The Today Show, NBA Inside Stuff, Reading Rainbow, and Late Night with
David Letterman. Evans also developed and co-created all of the characters
for the Disney Channel animated short, “Shanna Show.” In 2002
Evans was honored by First Lady Laura Bush for the National Book Festival and
has
received much acclaim within the children's literary field. His awards include
The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and The Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding
Nonfiction for Children. His lecture series is a true delight!
Evans
with basketball great Shaquille O'Neal
Evans
with First Lady Laura Bush
In 2004, Evans was invited to speak
at seven schools in Topeka Kansas. He found Topeka to be a wonderfully
hospitable
community and the children eager to learn and in many cases, to teach
Evans. The schools adopted a reading initiative that allowed the
children themselves to raise funds to pay for the lecture series.
The series ultimately lead to Evans returning in 2005 and he will
return again in 2006. He is working in conjunction with Washburn
University on a partnership between some of the schools and one of
the oldest art museums in Kansas, the Mulvane Art Museum, to create
a collabrative project called Little
Person Press.
Below: Some
of the WONDERFUL artwork created by students. A great idea to implement
before Evans arrives at your school - utilize books that he has illustrated
as a starting point for projects in which the students can create
art based on the readings and illustrations. |
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Lectures
by Illustrator/Author Shane W. Evans
Click
thumbnails to download articles
It
is Evans' goal to make a true connection with children through his art and
to see smiles on their faces as a result. Having spoken in schools in foreign
lands, Evans knows that language does not have to be a barrier. A unique element
of Evans's presentations is his ability to demonstrate the universal language
of art. The presentations offer a wide variety of experiences and often lend
a platform for participants to share their ideas.
"Imaginative,
intelligent, and incredible" are words I would use describe Shane Evans'
presentations. Shane has the ability to captivate his audiences and generate
enthusiasm for the arts. Instantly, he has children sitting on the edges of
their seats! The excitement Shane brings to the children is awesome. In a very
short period of time, he had over 350 elementary children aspiring to be artists.
The involvement Shane has with our museum, and his personal ability to interact
with diverse populations of children has been a perfect way to involve children
in the creative processes of writing and drawing. This project is magical and
wonderful artistic opportunity for children of all ages.
Brogan Lasley
Education Coordinator
Mulvane Art Museum
