Capstone Publishing Group announced that it is launching the Capstone Fellowship in Children’s Literature to support children’s authors and illustrators in their endeavors. Beginning this summer, Capstone will select one artist annually to participate in a month-long residency at the Anderson Center in Red Wing, Minn. Fellows will be provided with room and board, as well as space in which to work.
“We are proud to offer the Capstone Fellowship in support and celebration of the arts community. Authors and illustrators create the magic in children’s literature,” Ashley Andersen Zantop, Capstone’s chief content officer, said in a release. “We’re grateful to the writers and artists who devote themselves to the pursuit of delighting and engaging young readers and partnering with us to inspire learning.”
The Capstone Fellowship in Children’s Literature will be awarded to authors and illustrators in alternate years, beginning with an author in 2015, followed by an illustrator in 2016. An essential characteristic for recipients will be that their work “enhances innovation and diversity in literature for children and young adults.” The first recipient will be nominated and selected in June by a five-person committee that includes Lisa Von Drasek, curator for the Kerlan Collection of children’s literature at the University of Minnesota; and Michael Dahl, Capstone’s creative concept director and three other Capstone personnel. Subsequent recipients will have to apply in a formal process.
Established in 1995, the Anderson Center is located on an estate situated near the confluence of the Cannon and the Mississippi Rivers south of the Twin Cities. It has provided a venue for artists, writers, and other creative types to work on their projects for the past 20 years.
