ABOUT THE ARTIST
As Creative Director of Character Design, Louis Henry Mitchell directs and oversees most aspects of character art for Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organization behind Sesame Street. From designing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons and floats to directing Sesame Street Muppet photo shoots, Mitchell has been at Sesame Workshop, full-time, since 2000. Prior to that, Mitchell freelanced for the organization beginning in 1992. Mitchell designed the character Julia, the first Sesame Street character on the autism spectrum. Julia was first designed exclusively as an illustrated character for an autism outreach book and then Mitchell expanded his design and art directed the Jim Henson Company in building the actual Muppet, and her family, for the show.
ABOUT THE SERIES
Wonder. Storytelling. Human Connection. From a converted carriage barn on South Street in Stockbridge, MA, Norman Rockwell painted his way into the hearts and lives of people around the world. In this Studio—his last and “best yet”—Rockwell’s imaginative artistry established a legacy of creativity that continues to inspire artists and visitors alike. Today, illustration art is everywhere: books and graphic novels, editorials and advertising, video games and the metaverse, posters, comics, clothing, and tattoos.
This monthly series of online and on-demand programs features leading illustrators demonstrating their craft and discussing ways in which published illustration reflects and shapes society, and advances social good.