Will Arrives (detail) by James Gurney ©2006 James Gurney

Will Arrives (detail) by James Gurney ©2006 James Gurney

Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington
February 4, 2010 through May 16, 2010

Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, FL
June 5, 2010 through September 5, 2010

James Gurney’s Dinotopia bring the worlds of science and the imagination to life by chronicling Arthur and Will Denison’s remarkable experiences on a lost island in vibrant color and meticulous detail. Recounted in words and pictures in the best-selling book series, Dinotopia: A Land Apart From Time (1992), Dinotopia: The World Beneath (1995), and Dinotopia: First Flight (1999), the artist’s compelling tale has engaged and enchanted readers by inviting them to explore the far reaches of a mysterious destination. Waterfall City, the island’s center of learning, The Hatchery, birthplace of many of Dinotopia’s prehistoric inhabitants, and The Forbidden Mountains, where dinosaurs dare not venture, are just a few of the places described in Arthur Denison’s fictional journal and in the outstanding works on view.

Inspired by a deep and abiding interest in archaeology, lost civilizations, and the art of illustration, James Gurney invites viewers to enter a fantastical world in which dinosaurs and humans live side-by-side. His luminous paintings, beautifully crafted drawings and hand-made models, which are featured in this exhibition, explore the wonders of the distant past through the lens of the imagination. The artist’s original New York Times bestseller, Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time, appears in eighteen languages with over two million copies sold. Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara, the next installment in the series, has been released and is now available.