Picture Books & Belonging: Latinx Women Author-Illustrators in Conversation

Join us at Sur NYC for an evening of conversation with four extraordinary Latinx picture book creators. A special edition to celebrate the week of the Original Art Show at the Society of Illustrators , our South Hemisphere series returns with this panel that brings together Cynthia Alonso, Cecilia Ruiz, Mariana Villanueva Segovia, and moderator Eugenia Mello for a rich discussion on illustration, identity, belonging, and storytelling.

We’ll explore how personal history, cultural memory, and migration shape the stories we tell and how these elements manifest in both words and images. Each artist will share a brief presentation of their work before opening up to a group conversation about their creative process, publishing experiences, and the kinds of stories that have found a home in the picture book form.

This panel invites students, illustrators, and publishing professionals alike to reflect on the picture book as a space of both artistic exploration, craft,, and personal voice.

If you're in town for the Original Art Show, this is a perfect chance to continue the celebration of picture book illustration. Be sure to catch the exhibition at the Society of Illustrators; the opening is happening on November 14th.

More info: https://societyillustrators.org/the-original-art/

Cynthia Alonso
Cynthia Alonso is an Argentine illustrator and author known for crafting visually immersive picture books that resonate across cultures and ages. Her debut Aquarium (Chronicle Books) was lauded for its wordless storytelling and painterly technique, receiving starred reviews from School Library Journal. Her subsequent work, including The Yellow Handkerchief (written by Donna Barba Higuera), has also garnered critical acclaim. Cynthia’s picture books have been honored by the Society of Illustrators, Bologna Children’s Book Fair, American Illustration, and Nami Concours. She brings a deep narrative instinct to the picture book format, often drawing from her Latin American heritage and life in Berlin.

Cecilia Ruiz
Cecilia Ruiz is a celebrated Mexican author and illustrator of picture books that blend poetic visuals with deep emotional resonance. Her titles include A Gift from Abuela (Candlewick Press), a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, and Mr. Fiorello’s Head (Enchanted Lion Books), selected for the 2023 Bologna Ragazzi Award Amazing Bookshelf. Her work in children’s publishing is distinguished by a graphic, stamp-like visual language rooted in traditional printmaking techniques. Cecilia is also the author of two illustrated books for adults and teaches design and illustration at both the School of Visual Arts and Queens College in New York.

Mariana Villanueva Segovia
Mariana Villanueva Segovia is a Mexican designer and illustrator with a degree in Design from the National School of Plastic Arts (UNAM) and a master’s in illustration from EINA (Barcelona) and ESAT (Valencia). Her work has received numerous honors in the field of children’s publishing, including second place at the Sharjah Exhibition for Children in the United Arab Emirates, third place in the XXII Catalogue of Illustrators (FILIJ), and honorable mentions in both the Third Ibero-American Illustration Catalogue and the picture book competition A la orilla del viento (FCE). She was also awarded the Prize for Excellence at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. Her illustrations have been exhibited in Mexico, Japan, Colombia, Italy, Spain, and the UAE.

Eugenia Mello (MODERATING)
Eugenia Mello is an award-winning illustrator and art director from Buenos Aires, Argentina, based in Brooklyn, NY. She is the author and illustrator of Moving (Victionary), which earned a Silver Cube from the Art Director’s Club, and has illustrated several other titles, including the upcoming The Only Way To Dance (Tundra, 2026). Her work in picture books is marked by vivid rhythm, color, and emotion. She is a regular collaborator at Enchanted Lion Books, where she works as a designer and associate art director. Eugenia teaches about picture book form and storytelling at the School of Visual Arts and serves on the board of the Society of Illustrators.

Date and Time
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
6:30 PM – 9:30 PM EDT

Location
125 8th Street, Studio 3H
Brooklyn, NY 11215

Light beverages and snacks will be served.

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