Kristy Caldwell is an illustrator in New York. She makes narrative work that explores how observation and imagination work together to shape meaning. She is especially interested in how stories unfold through what is shown, what is held back, and what viewers piece together for themselves.
She has illustrated more than a dozen children’s books and helped launch experimental literary journal Carrier Pigeon: Illustrated Fiction and Fine Art. In 2025 she became the first visual artist to receive a William H. Helfand Fellowship at the Grolier Club Library.
Her illustrations have been recognized by American Illustration, Communication Arts, and 3x3. She has taught at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Pratt Institute, and the School of Visual Arts, and is currently an assistant professor of illustration at Queens College, CUNY.
kc@kristycaldwell.com
@kristy.caldwell
WRITING
The Blind Man in the Studio: A Visit with Richard Pettibone, Castelli Gallery
TALKING
Artist Talk | Catenary Books: The Making of a Narrative Bookplate Series, The Grolier Club, NY
‘Trim Sets Sail’ and ‘Trim Helps Out’ — Historical Fiction about a Ship’s Cat, Conversations, Kansas Public Radio
Thanks to Frances Perkins: An Interview with Kristy Caldwell, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
From the Sketchbook: Kristy Caldwell / Children’s Book Council
Let’s Talk Illustrators #100, Let’s Talk Picture Books