Meet and Greet with Acclaimed Author/Illustrator Mike Venezia Sept. 9

The McAninch Arts Center (MAC), located at 425 W. Fawell on the College of DuPage campus, hosts a Meet and Greet with award-winning author and children’s book illustrator Mike Venezia at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9. Venezia is the creator of the artwork for the WARHOL exhibition’s Kids Pop Art Print Factory, which is where he will meet with children and their parents and sign autographs. This is the final event in the series of programming aimed at enriching the WARHOL exhibition experience.

Born in New York City, Venezia moved to Chicago at age 10. After graduating high school, he attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He was subsequently hired by the advertising agency Leo Burnett Company and, after 33 years with the company where he had served as executive director and vice president, Venezia retired to be a full-time author and illustrator of children's books.

His writing career began in 1978 and since then, Venezia has created award-winning books and movies about history, art, music and science. He has produced the “Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists” series, giving readers the chance to get to know well-known and somewhat unknown artists including Andy Warhol, plus three additional series: “Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers,” “Getting to Know the U.S. Presidents” and “Getting to Know the World's Greatest Inventors & Scientists.” Venezia has also animated videos to complement some of his books.

Admission to the Mike Venezia Meet and Greet is free with the purchase of a ticket to the WARHOL exhibition for Sept. 9. Tickets for youth age 17 and under are $10 (plus service fees); tickets for adults begin at $30 (plus service fees). For more information, visit Warhol2023.org or call the MAC at 630.942.4000.

On view through Sept. 10, the WARHOL exhibition features more than 200 original works and photographs by the iconic artist, including 94 works comprising “Andy Warhol Portfolios: A Life in Pop | Works from the Bank of America Collection” and a collection of 150 Warhol photographs and original works from College of DuPage’s Permanent Art Collection. Unfolding over 11,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space, visitors have the opportunity to experience Andy Warhol’s life through interactive exhibits, recreations and videos created exclusively for this exhibition including a historical exhibit, Kids Pop Art Print Factory, Studio 54 Experience, Central Park-inspired outdoor area and Silver Clouds installation. There is also a series of on-site events including lectures by internationally renowned authors and Warhol experts, workshops, concerts and more taking place throughout the exhibition’s run.