This summer sees the return of much-loved children’s book author and illustrator Alison Lester to Gippsland Art Gallery, with an exhibition of the original illustrations from her 2004 book Are We There Yet? coming to the YES(Young Exhibitors Showcase) Gallery. Designed as a companion exhibition to Adventure, Elves & Gumnuts, Australian Children’s Book Illustrators of the Early 20^thCentury, showing in Gallery 3, the blurb for Are We There Yet? reads:‍

The year I turned eight, Mum and Dad took us on a trip around Australia. Luke, Billy and I missed school for the whole winter term.

Join Grace and her family on their adventurous and sometimes funny expedition. A warm, heartfelt story based on an actual journey undertaken by the much-loved, award-winning author and illustrator, Alison Lester.

Lester is a Gippsland-born author and illustrator who has shown regularly at the Gallery, and has recently donated every original artwork for Are We There Yet?—in its entirety—to the Gallery’s permanent collection. This incredibly generous donation includes forty original artworks comprising the illustrations themselves, executed in pencil, watercolour, pen and ink, in addition to almost thirty further support works, such as collages, prints, mock-ups, proof pages and exhibition materials. This is a truly remarkable gift that will serve to delight and inspire children of all ages (and their grown-ups!) for many years to come.

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