Bologna Children’s Book Fair Reportage

Cleveland Institute of Art

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• Date Thursday, April 23, 2026
• Time 11:00AM - 12:30PM
• Location 11610 Euclid Ave Cleveland, OH 44106
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Cleveland Institute of Art is one of the nation's leading accredited independent colleges of art and design. For more than 130 years, the college has been an educational cornerstone in Cleveland, Ohio, and produces graduates competitive as studio artists, designers,... more

Bologna Book Fair Reportage is an annual public talk hosted by CIA's Illustration department following the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the leading international marketplace for children’s publishing. Each spring, Assistant Professor in Illustration, Dinara Mirtalipova travels to the fair in Italy and returns with a visual and industry overview of the newest global trends in picture books, including emerging illustration styles, thematic directions, material experimentation, and shifts in storytelling. Designed for illustration majors, the wider CIA community and the public, the event highlights how picture books sit at the intersection of art, design, writing, sequencing, research, and global culture. The program will begin with an overview of the educational and professional ecosystem of picture books, outlining key roles and how a book moves from concept to global distribution, followed by first-hand observations from Bologna, including current visual trends and portfolio insights. The event concludes with an open discussion about opportunities and career pathways, with the goal of making the international picture book field accessible, transparent, and relevant to a broad creative audience.