Nikki McClure: Something About the Sky & Other Wonderings

Nikki McClure (Olympia) is a well-known children’s book author and illustrator. This solo exhibition surveys her career to date, from her first book Apple (self-published in 1996), to the most recent, Something About the Sky, 2024, written by Rachel Carson. This exhibition features more than seventy of McClure’s original papercuts, sometimes including collage, ink, and/or paint, which have graced books and calendars since the 1990s. McClure’s work is highly personal and narrative. She addresses questions, ideas, and experiences – savoring moments of daily life and revering our natural world.

Nikki McClure, All Who Live Openly (detail), 2021, papercut and ink, 15.5″h x 18”w. Illustration from Something About the Sky by Rachel Carson, published by Candlewick Studio, an imprint of Candlewick Press. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Scott Ogilvie

Nikki McClure, Where the Trade Winds Blow (detail), 2021, papercut and ink, 11”h x 14.5”w. Illustration from Something About the Sky by Rachel Carson, published by Candlewick Studio, an imprint of Candlewick Press. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Scott Ogilvie