Author Kelly Dupre to visit Two Harbors

• Kelly Dupre

Kelly Dupre

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Author and illustrator Kelley Dupre will visit Two Harbors Tuesday as part of the “Authors in Communities” series. She will meet with elementary students during the day and will have a 6:30 p.m. community presentation at the Two Harbors Public Library.

Dupre’s program focuses on the journey of producing a picture book. She said the key is “setting and achieving goals.” She will use slides, music, and large pictures to illustrate the process, as well as a variety of tools and original materials from her books.

Dupre has worked with children in a variety of positions for more than 25 years. A few of the jobs have been outdoor educator, naturalist, camp director, science teacher, coach, juvenile probation officer, and special education teacher. She also works part-time at North House Folk School in Grand Marais, the nonprofit organization that teaches a variety of old world crafts.

“And then there’s my passion for art and writing.” Dupre said.

From 1998 to 2002, she took a leave of absence from her special education teaching position to develop her art and writing skills. She wrote and illustrated a 20-unit curriculum called “Arctic Challenge,” a multi-subject, multi-level teaching tool that was used on the website of the International Greenland Expedition. She has also creates freelance graphics for businesses, organizations, and individuals, as well as selling cards and larger images to stores and art galleries.

For many years, she dreamed of combining my passions for children, writing, and art in children’s books. That dream came true in 2001 when a story she wrote and illustrated, “The Raven’s Gift: A True Story from Greenland,” was released by Houghton-Mifflin. Other books by Dupre include “Becoming a Boundary Waters Family,” “How Coyote Stole the Summer,” “The Lion’s Share,” and “The Littlest Christmas Kitten.”

Rural libraries and their communities are coping with economic challenges and declining populations leaving them with fewer resources than ever to recruit authors for meaningful and productive discussions that create and nurture the appreciation of Minnesota’s literary tradition.

The Minnesota Humanities Center’s “Authors in Communities” program addresses this need by bringing award-winning Minnesota authors who represent “new literary voices” to schools and libraries in the communities of greater Minnesota.

Authors make two presentations during a visit to a rural community - one at an educational setting, and the other at a library or other public setting.

“Authors in Communities” presentations are the result of collaboration including the Minnesota Humanities Center, Northland Foundation, Two Harbors Early Childhood Coalition, Lake Superior School District Community Education, and the Two Harbors Public Library.

Tags: two harbors, library, community