Gipson chose artists from many different places and periods in history.

Portraits courtesy of Ferren Gipson. The Art Book for Children. Combined, revised, and expanded edition. Ferren Gipson, Amanda Renshaw, and Gilda Williams. Phaidon. All other images courtesy of Phaidon.

STANDARDS

Core Art Standards: VA4, VA6, VA11

CCSS: R3, R5, R6

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Art By the Book

Ferren Gipson talks about writing art books for kids

September 2024
Interview by Chava Pearl Lansky

Scholastic Art: How would you describe your job? 

Ferren Gipson

Ferren Gipson: Broadly speaking, I’m an art historian and artist. I write—sometimes books and sometimes articles—and I give talks. I also teach sometimes. One of the biggest themes across my work is storytelling: sharing stories from the art world and making them accessible to as many people as possible. My newest book is The Art Book for Children, a revised and expanded version of a book of the same name originally published 20 years ago.

SA: How did you become an art historian?

Gipson’s updated version of this book reflects new ideas about art history.

FG: I have a B.A. and an M.A. in art history. And my B.A. also had a studio art component, so we had to take studio art classes in painting and drawing to get a real hands-on understanding. And I’m currently wrapping up my studies for a Ph.D. in art history.

SA: What do you like about writing art books for young audiences?

FG: It’s important to me to welcome everyone into art as a subject. I know it can be intimidating to people of any age. I like doing work that engages people from young ages all the way through to adults. I hope to help people think that this is something they can be interested in and something that could even be a career. There are a lot of adults who buy The Ultimate Art Museum—another art book I wrote for children—for themselves. They talk about how it helps them understand art more easily. I think in general, accessibility is important.

Gipson says working on a big book project is like assembling a puzzle.

SA: What is your working process?

FG: For The Art Book for Children, and projects this size, it involves a spreadsheet. It helps me see information more clearly. I laid out which artists we were going to carry forward from the original version and then looked for gaps and opportunities: What regions can we represent? How do we include more women? How do we include more people of color? How do we include a range of themes? I had to take away 30 artists from the book’s original 60 and then think about which 30 artists I wanted to add. It’s really like a puzzle, fitting it all together.

SA: Who else was involved in the creation of the book?

Courtesy of Michaela Goade.

This book is for kids, but adults appreciate it too!

FG: I’m not involved in the design process, but it is the same designer who did The Ultimate Art Museum so there is a kind of continuity. And I worked together with the children’s book editor.

SA: Do you have advice for young people interested in a career as an art historian?

FG: Follow your passions, interests, and whatever makes you excited. Even if it’s different from what everyone else is doing, even if people urge you to do something different. I think it’s your own passion about something that keeps you motivated, and that makes you shine and excel because you’re excited about what you’re doing.

How To Become AN ART HISTORIAN

GETTING STARTED:
  • Visit museums and galleries.
  • Read art books.
  • Take art classes and writing classes.

 

EDUCATION:

  • Most art historians have a bachelor’s degree (B.A.) in art history or fine arts, a master’s degree (M.A.), and/or a doctorate (Ph.D.) in art history.

 

SALARY:

  • Art historians can earn between $36,000 and $100,000 or more, depending on whether they’re working as museum curators, archivists, university professors, or other roles.

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