Cameron’s Literacy Celebration, (Featuring the West Coast Educational, Cultural and Black Writer’s Festival), Featured Author/Artist: Synthia SAINT JAMES is a self-taught Artist/Author, and native of Los Angeles, California. She was born in 1949. Her professional career as an artist started in 1969 in New York City where she sold her first commissioned paintings. Today she is a highly acclaimed internationally recognized fine artist. She has received numerous awards for her outstanding contributions to children's books and other humanitarian activities. She is a highly sought after keynote speaker and presenter. Book Signing: SYNTHIA SAINT JAMES 10/14/07 at 12:00p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Synthia the Artist
She has designed no less than 60 book covers (including books by infamous authors such as Alice Walker, Terry Mc Millan, Iyanla Vanzant and Julia Boyd), and her art appears on several licensed products. In 1997 she was awarded the Coretta Scott King Honor for her illustrations in "Neeny Coming, Neeny Going" ( Published by Bridgewater Book and 4 activity books co-authored with Bunny Hull, published by Dream A World). Ms. SAINT JAMES designed a 2'8"x150 foot tile architectural mural for Ontario International Airport, 6 elevator doors for the East End Complex in Sacramento, CA,; 3 stained glass windows for the West Tampa Library, Tampa, FL, and a 4x7 foot tile mural for Cowan Elementary School. She also created a original 3x6 foot painting for Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale, CA.
Synthia The Author
She has 13 Children's picture books currently on the market, three of which she wrote, "The Gifts of Kwanzaa" and "Sunday" (A Parents Choice Silver Honor Book) published by Albert Whitman (&) Company and "It's Kwanzaa Time" (a lift the flap book) published by Simon & Schuster. She also has 2 books of poetry and prose, "Girlfriends" published by Peter Pauper Press and "Can I Touch You: Love Poems and Affirmations" an audio book, and a multi-cultural cookbook "Creative Fixings from the Kitchen" published by Persnickety Press.
· Parents Choice Silver Honor 1996 for Children's Book: "Sunday"
· YWCA Silver Achievement Award in the Creative Arts 1997, May 2, 1997
· Treasure of Los Angeles Award 1997, May 8, 1997
·
AT&T
Entrepreneur of the year for 1997
(NAACP Legal Defense Fund & Black Women of Achievement Committee), June 20, 1997
· Coretta Scott King Honor for illustrating Children's Books: "Neeny Coming... Neeny Going", July 1, 1997
· BEMO Collection Women's History Month Achievement Honor, March 21, 1998
· Black Women Lawyers, Inc. Women of Vision Award, May 16, 1998
· African American Advocate Visions and Words, October 25, 1998
· 1999 NAPPA Award for the song she co-wrote with Bunny Hull "Happy Happy Kwanzaa"
· 2001 Oppenheim Gold Award for the book "To Dinner, For Dinner", which she illustrated, by Tololwa M. Mollel
· Woman of the Year in Education from the Los Angeles County Commission for Women, 2004