The 'wild rumpus' continues: Maurice Sendak's legacy lives on at Ridgefield Foundation

黑料吃瓜网

Where We Live

The 'wild rumpus' continues: Maurice Sendak's legacy lives on at Ridgefield Foundation

By Katie Pellico,

Catherine Shen

Published May 23, 2024 at 7:35 AM EDT

Photograph of Lynn Caponera and Dr. Jonathan Weinberg of the Maurice Sendak Foundation standiing in Maurice Sendak鈥檚 studio during a tour of his home in Ridgefield, 黑料吃瓜网.

1 of 8 — February 6, 2024 - Maurice Sendak Foundation

Lynn Caponera and Dr. Jonathan Weinberg of the Maurice Sendak Foundation stand in Maurice Sendak鈥檚 studio during a tour of his home in Ridgefield, 黑料吃瓜网. They both were a part of Sendak鈥檚 extended family and have worked to preserve Sendak鈥檚 legacy and his home. 鈥淚t seems like we鈥檙e still with him,鈥� said Weinberg, curator and director of research for the foundation.

Ryan Caron King / 黑料吃瓜网

2 of 8 — February 6, 2024 - Maurice Sendak Foundation

Original artwork for 鈥淲here the Wild Things Are,鈥� stored in the archive at the Maurice Sendak Foundation in Ridgefield, Conn. Sendak Foundation curator Jonathan Weinberg said the reproduction of the first edition of the book was so poor that 鈥淢aurice was in tears.鈥� The foundation is now working with Harper Collins to reshoot the author鈥檚 original artwork for remastered editions of his books.

Ryan Caron King / 黑料吃瓜网

3 of 8 — February 6, 2024 - Maurice Sendak Foundation

Maurice Sendak鈥檚 paints, brushes, pens, and supplies sit on his studio desks. Sendak Foundation curator Jonathan Weinberg said that the paints Sendak often used were common poster paints, similar to the ones children use in school. 鈥淚f you鈥檝e ever used paint like that, you can鈥檛 understand how he was able to get the kind of effects that he was able to do,鈥� Weinberg said.

Ryan Caron King / 黑料吃瓜网

4 of 8 — February 6, 2024 - Maurice Sendak Foundation

Doug Salati, Sendak fellowship coordinator, looks through proofs of 鈥淭en Little Rabbits,鈥� with Sendak Foundation Executive Director Lynn Caponera. Dr. Jonathan Weinberg, curator for the foundation, said that the new book, published 12 years after the author鈥檚 death, can serve as allegory for Sendak鈥檚 life. 鈥淗e has to juggle all of these rabbits鈥� it鈥檚 a perfect little allegory for what an artists does 鈥� because when it happens, it doesn鈥檛 necessarily fall in the way you thought it would work out.鈥�

Ryan Caron King / 黑料吃瓜网

5 of 8 — February 6, 2024 - Maurice Sendak Foundation

鈥淲here the Wild Things Are鈥� dolls sit on a couch in Maurice Sendak鈥檚 studio in Ridgefield, Conn. Lynn Caponera, the Executive Director of the Sendak foundation, lived with him for 40 years. 鈥淢aurice鈥檚 work is a part of everybody's life who owns that book, or has taken it out of a library鈥� It鈥檚 sort of like this emotional time machine that people are connected back to their childhood or to their children's childhood,鈥� she said.

Ryan Caron King / 黑料吃瓜网

6 of 8 — February 6, 2024 - Maurice Sendak Foundation

A portrait of Eugene Glynn, Sendak鈥檚 longtime partner, sits by collectables and oddities on Sendak's studio desk. The couple moved into their Ridgefield house in 1971. Jonathan Weinberg, curator and director of research for the Sendak Foundation, says that Sendak and Glynn became his surrogate parents after his own parents died early in his life.

Ryan Caron King / 黑料吃瓜网

7 of 8 — February 6, 2024 - Maurice Sendak Foundation

Maurice Sendak鈥檚 art supplies, Mickey Mouse collectables, and photographs line the walls and shelves of his studio in Ridgefield, Conn. At center is an illustration he made of his dog Jennie, pictured in front of the Mona Lisa. 鈥淚 found out only fairly recently that the reason the Mona Lisa is behind Jenny because her original name was Mona when he got the dog,鈥� said curator Jonathan Weinberg during a tour of Sendak鈥檚 home.

Ryan Caron King / 黑料吃瓜网

8 of 8 — February 6, 2024 - Maurice Sendak Foundation

Maurice Sendak鈥檚 sweater hangs on his desk chair in his Ridgefield studio. 鈥淏ecause he was a 1930s kid, he would buy three of the same sweater. But he wouldn鈥檛 wear the new ones because he was afraid they鈥檇 stop selling these,鈥� said Sendak Foundation Executive Director Lynn Caponera, who was his assistant lived with him for 40 years.

Ryan Caron King / 黑料吃瓜网

Maurice Sendak is often celebrated for his contributions to children鈥檚 book art. You鈥檙e likely familiar with Where The Wild Things Are, or even Higglety Pigglety Pop. But in the late artist鈥檚 own words, "I do not believe that I have ever written a children's book. I do not know how to write a children鈥檚 book. How do you set out to write a children鈥檚 book?"

This hour, we鈥檙e exploring the in Ridgefield, where Sendak lived for forty years. There, the many layers of his artistic legacy live on, with the help of the experts and friends who knew and loved him best. We hear from them.

Twelve years after the artist's passing, the Foundation and HarperCollins are releasing .

GUESTS:

Lynn Caponera: President and Treasurer,
Dr. Jonathan Weinberg: Curator, Maurice Sendak Foundation

Cat Pastor contributed to this episode which originally aired February 12, 2024.

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