Tonia at Tecolote, Authors Assemble at Library 

Artist Symeon Shimin’s name may not be a household word, but his most famous work might be one of the better-known images in American history: the original poster for Gone with the Wind. But Shimin, who died in 1984, not only painted such promotional images for Hollywood films but was also an award-winning illustrator of 57 children’s books. As well as the artist whose masterpiece – the mural Contemporary Justice and the Child – was commissioned in 1936-1940 for the Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C., where it still hangs today. 

Shimin’s daughter, UCSB dance professor emerita Tonia Shimin, spent more than 30 years putting together The Art of Symeon Shimin, a book that serves as a highly-praised compilation of his work. The volume features dozens of high-resolution color plates and dozens more archival photographs, as well as a short autobiography by the artist and essays by Tonia and noted local art journalists Josef Woodard and Charles Donelan. Edited and curated by Tonia, the book represents the first complete collection and overview of Shimin’s fine art. Tonia, Woodard, and Donelan will be on hand for a celebration of the project and book signing for The Art of Symeon Shimin at Tecolote Book Shop from 2-4 pm on December 2. 

Santa Barbara Public Library’s first in-person Local Author Book Fair since the pandemic takes place at the same time, 2-4 pm on December 2, at the Faulkner Gallery downtown, where several dozen of the area’s most respected authors as well as new writers are expected to participate in an event that invites the public to meet the authors, browse a selection of their original works, and simply celebrate Santa Barbara’s diverse and thriving literary landscape.