Kirkbrae Country Club, Lincoln, Rhode Island The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council 20th Anniversary Annual Dinner September 29, 2005

We are a Destination (Intro Letter) | We've Always Fought the Uphill Battle (History)
Chris and Lisa Van Allsburg (2005 Lifetime Achievement Award) | Who Are We (Staff, volunteers)
20 Years of Imagination (Accomplishment Timeline) | Thanks to Our Sponsors

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2005 Lifetime Achievement Award
Chris and Lisa Van Allsburg

Chris Van Allsburg was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 18, 1949, the second child of Doris Christiansen Van Allsburg and Richard Van Allsburg. His sister Karen was born in 1947.

When Chris was three years old, his family moved to a new house at the edge of Grand Rapids that was part of a development; a kind of planned neighborhood, that was still being built.

There remained many open fields and streams and ponds where a boy could catch minnows and frogs, or see a firefly at night. It was about a mile and a half to Breton Downs School, which Chris walked to every day and attended until 6th grade, when the Van Allsburg family moved again.

Chris went to junior and senior high school in East Grand Rapids. He  didn’t take art classes during this time. His interests and talents seemed to be more in the area of math and science. Because of the high level of academic achievement at East Grand Rapids High School, and because each year a number of students chose to go to the University of Michigan, they sent an admissions officer.

After a clever conversation with the interviewer, Chris was admitted to the college of Architecture and Design, which included the art school. Chris went to the University of Michigan in the fall of 1967. Much to his surprise, art school did not mean a few art courses a week. It meant art classes pretty much all the time. He majored in sculpture at the University of Michigan, where he learned bronze casting, wood carving, resin molding and other techniques. He graduated in 1972 and went to graduate school at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) to continue his study of sculpture.

At the request of the Van Allsburgs, tonight’s dinner will partially benefit the Draw A Breath program. CVS/pharmacy Draw A Breath is the largest asthma education program in Rhode Island. Each year, more than 300 children with asthma and their families participate in an asthma education class at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. Hundreds more attend classes at schools and community sites throughout Rhode Island. Draw A Breath is funded by CVS/pharmacy, the Van Allsburg Family and the Rhode Island Hospital Foundation. CVS/pharmacy Draw A Breath is a project of the Community Asthma Programs, the family education branch of the Asthma & Allergy Center at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. The Community Asthma Programs operates a range of educational programming for children with asthma and their families, including Asthma Camp and parent support groups. For more information, call 401-444- 8340 or email.

In 1975, after earning his M.F.A. degree at RISD, Chris set up a sculpture studio in Providence. He also married Lisa Morrison, whom he met at the University of Michigan four years earlier. Lisa was also an art student who had studied education and had become an elementary school art teacher in the Providence school system. Chris first exhibited his sculpture in New York City in 1977 at the Alan Stone Gallery. He exhibited elsewhere in New England, and though sculpture was his primary interest, he had begun drawing pictures at night in a little room in his and Lisa’s apartment.

Lisa, who used picture books when teaching her 3rd grade students, encouraged Chris to consider making illustrations for a story book. A friend of Lisa’s, illustrator and author David Macaulay agreed with Lisa that the kind of pictures Chris was making could be effective book illustrations. Macaulay encouraged Lisa to show Chris’ work to his editor, Walter Lorraine, at Houghton Mifflin Company in Boston. Mr. Lorraine responded positively to the pictures Lisa showed him, but rather than enlist Chris to produce pictures for someone else’s story, Mr. Lorraine encouraged Chris to think about stories of his own. Though still involved in making sculptures, Chris set aside some time and created the story and pictures that became The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, published in 1979.

Since then, Chris has written and illustrated 15 books and has illustrated three others that were written by Mark Helprin. In 1980, he was awarded the Caldecott Honor Medal for The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. Chris is also the winner of two Caldecott Medals, for Jumanji and The Polar Express. Chris has also been awarded the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children's literature. In 1982, Jumanji won the National Book Award and in 1996, it was made into a popular feature film starring Robin Williams.

Last year’s film, The Polar Express, featuring the voice of Tom Hanks, was a popular holiday hit. On Nov., 11, Chris’ third feature film, Zathura, will be released.

In 1991, Chris and Lisa became parents when their daughter Sophia was born. In 1995, their second daughter, Anna was born. Chris lives in Providence and works in his third floor studio. For recreation and amusement, he rides his bike and plays tennis.

We are a Destination (Intro Letter) | We've Always Fought the Uphill Battle (History)
Chris and Lisa Van Allsburg (2005 Lifetime Achievement Award) | Who Are We (Staff, volunteers)
20 Years of Imagination (Accomplishment Timeline) | Thanks to Our Sponsors

Download PDF

Core Values and Origins | Our Standards | What We Do | Work Plan 2006 | Marketing Plan | 20th Anniversary Annual Report
2006 Budget | Accomplishments | Staff/Contact Info  | Board of Directors | Legacy Trust