B O R N
May 15, 1974, Silver Spring, MD
E D U C A T I O N
1996 BFA Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
S E L E C T E D S O L O E X H I B I T I O N S
2015 “Words and Pictures: Illustrated Works by Kadir Nelson”. The Arts Council. Fayetteville, NC
2014 “A Light In Harlem”. RJD Gallery. Sag Harbor, NY
2014 “Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans”. Richard Stockton College, Galloway, NJ
2014 “Words And Pictures”. Hearne Fine Art. Little Rock, AK
2013 “Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans”. The Society of Illustrators Museum. New York, NY
2008-2011 “WE ARE THE SHIP: Original Paintings by Kadir Nelson.” Traveling exhibition.
Piedmont Arts Association. Martinsville, VA
South Bend Museum of Art. South Bend, IN
Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center. Pittsburgh, PA
The Carle Museum. Amherst, MA
Miami Dade College Freedom Tower. Miami, FL
Fort Wayne Museum of Art. Fort Wayne, IN
Museum of Texas Tech University. Lubbock, TX
The Arts Council. Fayetteville, NC
Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon, MI
Louisville Slugger Museum, Louisville, KY
Michelson Museum of Art. Marshall, TX
Negro Leagues Museum. Kansas City, MO
2007 “The African-American Experience: Children’s Book Illustrations By Kadir Nelson”. Akron Art Museum. Akron, OH
2005 “Ellington Was Not A Street”. Fort Wayne Museum of Art. Fort Wayne, IN. Fort Wayne, IN
G R O U P E X H I B I T I O N S
2018 “Telling a People’s Story: African American Illustrated Literature.” Miami University, Oxford OH.
2018 “Our Voice: Celebrating the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Awards.” National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature. Abilene, TX.
2017 “Collecting Inspiration: Contemporary Illustrators and Their Heroes” Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. Amherst, MA.
2015 “Revolutions II: The Art of Music”. Forest Lawn Art Museum. Glendale, CA
2015 “Looking Both Ways”. Peninsula Fine Arts Center. Newport News, VA
2011 “Triple Play”. Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon, MI
2009 “Picture Perfect: Art From Caldecott Award Books, 2006-2009”. Chicago Art Institute. Chicago, IL
2006 “Art. Process: From Person, To Pencil, To Published”. Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. Amherst, MA.
2005 “All the Stories Are True”. Smithsonian Anacostia Museum. Washington DC
2003 “Shades Of Greatness”. The Negro League Baseball Museum. Kansas City, MO
2002 “Black Romantic”. The Studio Museum in Harlem. Harlem, NY
1992 “San Diego/Yokahama/ Tijuana Art Exchange”. San Diego, CA/Yokahama, JAPAN/ Tijuana, MEXICO
S E L E C T E D A W A R D S A N D H O N O R S
2016 Silver Medal, Society of Illustrators, New York, Editorial Category
2016 Silver Medal, Society of Illustrators, New York, Uncommissioned category
2015 Gold Medal, Society of Illustrators, New York, Uncommissioned category
2014 NAACP Image Award, Los Angeles, CA, “Nelson Mandela”, Outstanding Literary Work – Children
2014 Gold Medal, Hamilton King Award, Society of Illustrators, New York, Best Illustration of the Year
2014 Hamilton King Award, Society of Illustrators, New York
2013 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, American Library Association, Chicago, IL
2013 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, American Library Association, Chicago, IL
2013 New York Times Best Illustrated Book, New York, “Nelson Mandela”
2012 Coretta Scott King Author Award, American Library Association, Chicago, IL
2012 Audie Award, AudioFile Magazine, Portland, ME, “Heart and Soul” audiobook
2012 Silver Medal, Society of Illustrators, New York
2011 Silver Medal, Society of Illustrators, New York
2009 Sport Artist of the Year, United States Sports Academy, Mobile, AL
2009 Coretta Scott King Author Award, American Library Association, Chicago, IL
2009 Coretta Scott King Illustrator , American Library Association, Chicago, IL
2009 Robert F. Sibert , American Library Association, Chicago, IL
2008 Gold Medal, Society of Illustrators, New York
2008 NY Times Best Illustrated Book, New York Times, New York, “WE ARE THE SHIP: The Story of Negro League Baseball”
2008 Caldecott Honor, American Library Association, Chicago, IL
2007 Caldecott Honor, American Library Association, Chicago, IL
2007 Coretta Scott King Award, American Library Association, Chicago, IL
2007 NAACP Image Award, NAACP, Los Angeles, CA
2005 Coretta Scott King Award, American Library Association, Chicago, IL
2005 Once Upon a Book Award, Museum of Tolerance, Los Angeles, CA
2005 Gold Medal, The Society of illustrators, New York
2004 NAACP Image Award, NAACP, Los Angeles, CA“Just The Two Of Us”
2002 Silver Medal, The Society of illustrators, New York, NY
1998 Gold Medal, The Society of illustrators, New York
S E L E C T E D C O L L E C T I O N S
National Portrait Gallery, Washington DC
R.W. Norton Art Gallery, Shreveport, LA
United States House of Representatives, Washington DC
Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon, MI
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Kansas City, MO
The National Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, NY
The San Diego Padres, San Diego, CA
San Diego Hall of Champions, San Diego, CA
The Estate of Michael Jackson
The United States Postal Service
The Coca Cola Corporation
Westmont College
Sears, Roebuck & Co.
S E L E C T E D B I B L I O G R A P H Y
Davis, D. “Wilt the Stilt Becomes Wilt the Stamp”. New York, NY: New York Times. December 4, 2014. Two commemorative Forever postal stamps of Wilt Chamberlain commissioned by the USPS.
Mouly, F. “Cover Story: Nelson Mandela, Hero”. The New Yorker. New York, NY. May 7, 2013. Oil painting commissioned to commemorate life of Nelson Mandela, entitled “Madiba”.
Sullivan, J. “Picturing Baseball’s Negro League Greats”. The Boston Globe. Boston, MA. February 24, 2012.
Myers, W. “Sweet Land of Liberty”. The New York Times. New York, NY. November 10, 2011.
Nolan, A. “For Young Readers: “Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans,” by Kadir Nelson”. Washington Post. Washington, DC. September 15, 2011.
Baker, K. “A League of Their Own”. The New York Times. Sunday Book Review. New York, NY. June 15, 2008.
Davis, D. “ Stepping up the the Plate ”. LA Times Book Review. Los Angeles, CA. March 30, 2008.
Powell, R. “Kadir Nelson's Illustrative Bodies”. African American Atelier. Greensboro, NC.
McDaniels III, P. “A Nuturing Romance of Sport”. The International Review of African American Art, Vol. 9, No. 2. Hampton, VA. 2003.