Visiting Scholar Shares His Art

Award-winning artist, author, and children’s book illustrator Eugene Yelchin visited St. Mark’s on October 28–29. Brought by the Robert E. Dennard Visiting Scholar Program, Mr. Yelchin shared his artistry and personal narrative with students through sessions in all three divisions, as well as a full Middle School assembly. During Yelchin’s sessions with third and fourth grade students, he explained how to write what you know. First and second graders had the rare opportunity to create artwork with Yelchin, including the friendly bear from The Next Door Bear. Turning to a more serious topic with the older boys, Yelchin shared his real-life experiences growing up in Communist Russia with Humanities students, connecting with their study of Animal Farm. During sessions with Upper Schoolers, Yelchin talked about the application of art to a variety of fields.

 

Middle School students took full advantage of the opportunity to interact with Yelchin during his assembly titled “Disagreement Is Treason: The Portrait of an Artist in a Totalitarian State.” Students, parents, and faculty members can log in to the Resource Board and watch a video of the assembly.

 

This Tomie dePaola Award winner and author of the Newbery Honor book Breaking Stalin’s Nose works extensively in the entertainment and advertising industries in addition to publishing. He designed characters for the 2012 Academy Award-winning animated feature Rango and created art for the opening sequence of the HBO television series Rome. He also designed the original image of the Coca Cola Polar Bears. Yelchin lives in California with his wife and son.