The first Auerbach lecture for the 2026–27 academic year will feature one of the most highly acclaimed children’s book illustrators in the world, David Wiesner. His talk will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 2:30 p.m. as part of the HAS Auerbach Lecture Series.
The lecture will be held in Wilde Auditorium, and is free and open to the public.
Previously, Wiesner has made presentations to the School’s MFA students in Philadelphia, but this year, he will share his talent with the entire HAS and UHart community when he is on campus.
About the Artist
David Wiesner is a living legend and one of only two artists ever to receive the Caldecott Medal three times. Each year, the American Library Association (ALA) recognizes the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children with the Caldecott Medal, and Wiesner was awarded the Caldecott Medal for Tuesday (1991), The Three Pigs (2001), and Flotsam (2006). In addition to the Caldecott Medal, the ALA awards a variable number of citations to runners-up they deem worthy with a Caldecott Honor, and his books, Free Fall (1988), Sector 7 (1999), and Mr. Wuffles! (2013) received three Caldecott Honors Awards.
David Wiesner’s books have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have won numerous other awards in the United States and abroad, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Illustrators (2026). He was also one of five finalists for the biennial Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international recognition available for creators of children's books (2008).
About HAS Auerbach Lecture Series
The Auerbach Visiting Artist Lecture Series began in November 2001 and is made possible by a gift from the Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation Fund of the Hartford Art School Endowment, Inc. The gift enables the Hartford Art School to bring visiting artists to campus each year for one to two days; during that time, the artist delivers a public lecture and spends time in the studios critiquing student work.