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Maira Kalman at the Jewish Museum

The famed New Yorker illustrator, the subject of a retrospective at the Jewish Museum, talks to Casey Schwartz about creative inspiration, her marriage, and having the hots for a certain president.

Published May 10 2011 8:32AM EDT

galleries/2011/05/10/maira-kalman-at-the-jewish-museum/maira-kalman-jewish-museum-03_lfjrcn — Courtesy of the Jewish Museum

galleries/2011/05/10/maira-kalman-at-the-jewish-museum/maira-kalman-jewish-museum-03_iduzog — Maira Kalman, New York, Grand Central Station, 1999, gouache and ink on paper. Courtesy of the artist.
Courtesy of the Jewish Museum

galleries/2011/05/10/maira-kalman-at-the-jewish-museum/maira-kalman-jewish-museum-12_u7pj6q — Maira Kalman, Tibor Kalman, 1998, gouache on paper. Courtesy of the artist.
Courtesy of the Jewish Museum

galleries/2011/05/10/maira-kalman-at-the-jewish-museum/maira-kalman-jewish-museum-05_dmsbkw — Maira Kalman, Matisse in Nice, 2004-2005, gouache on paper. Courtesy of the artist.
Courtesy of the Jewish Museum

galleries/2011/05/10/maira-kalman-at-the-jewish-museum/maira-kalman-jewish-museum-01_vjzmey — Maira Kalman, My Beautiful Mother’s Map, 2006, gouache on paper. Courtesy of the artist.
Courtesy of the Jewish Museum

galleries/2011/05/10/maira-kalman-at-the-jewish-museum/maira-kalman-jewish-museum-02_iooikb — Maira Kalman, Dog Reads Book, cover illustration for The New Yorker, 1999, gouache on paper. Courtesy of the artist.
Courtesy of the Jewish Museum

galleries/2011/05/10/maira-kalman-at-the-jewish-museum/maira-kalman-jewish-museum-04_hakmnb — Maira Kalman, Man Dances on Salt, 2007, gouache on paper. Collection of Tom and Claire O’Connor.
Courtesy of the Jewish Museum

galleries/2011/05/10/maira-kalman-at-the-jewish-museum/maira-kalman-jewish-museum-06_risqji — Maira Kalman, Annual Misery Day Parade, cover illustration for The New Yorker, 2001, gouache and pencil on paper. Courtesy of the artist.
Courtesy of the Jewish Museum

galleries/2011/05/10/maira-kalman-at-the-jewish-museum/maira-kalman-jewish-museum-07_sdnksl — Maira Kalman and Rick Meyerowitz, New Yorkistan, cover illustration for The New Yorker, 2001, gouache and pencil on paper. Collection of Erica and Eric Schwartz.
Courtesy of the Jewish Museum

galleries/2011/05/10/maira-kalman-at-the-jewish-museum/maira-kalman-jewish-museum-08_k2oc4x — Self-Portrait with Pete
Courtesy of the Jewish Museum

galleries/2011/05/10/maira-kalman-at-the-jewish-museum/maira-kalman-jewish-museum-09_qf1c8o — Maira Kalman, Sunny Day at Park, 2004, gouache and pencil on paper. Courtesy of Julie Saul
Courtesy of the Jewish Museum

galleries/2011/05/10/maira-kalman-at-the-jewish-museum/maira-kalman-jewish-museum-10_l8zeft — nstallation shot of Maira Kalman: Various Illuminations (of a Crazy World): Jacket by Isaac Mizrahi.
John Aquino / Courtesy of the Jewish Museum

galleries/2011/05/10/maira-kalman-at-the-jewish-museum/maira-kalman-jewish-museum-11_cperxr — Installation shot of Maira Kalman: Various Illuminations (of a Crazy World).
John Aquino / Courtesy of the Jewish Museum

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