A very charming exhibition just opened this week at the Skirball in L.A. and will remain on view through February 13, 2011. Maira Kalman: Various Illuminations (of a Crazy World) is the first museum survey of the work of Maira Kalman (b. 1949 Tel Aviv), an illustrator, author, and designer known for her whimsical yet probing imagery. Her work ranges from designs for the legendary firm M&Co to covers and drawings for The New Yorker, more than a dozen books for children and adults, an illustrated blog for The New York Times (“And the Pursuit of Happiness”), and collaborations with leading designers like Isaac Mizrahi.

Featuring a selection of original works on paper that span thirty years of illustration, the exhibition also has showcases less widely seen works in photographs, embroidery, textiles, and performance. To provide context for this wide array of work, Kalman has created a special installation, furnishing the gallery with chairs, ladders, and “many tables of many things” drawn from her own collections.

Kalman uses her writing and drawing to render her singular vision of the world from a deeply personal viewpoint, illuminating contemporary life with a profound sense of joy, spontaneity, and humor.

The exhibition was organized by the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia and was most recently on view at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco. Following its presentation at the Skirball, the exhibition travels to The Jewish Museum, New York.

ADMISSION:

Included with Skirball Museum admission: $10 General; $7 Seniors and Full-Time Students; $5 Children 2–12;  FREE to Skirball Cultural Center Members and Children under 2; FREE to all on Thursdays

Visit www.skirball.org to learn more about the exhibition and related programs.