WestConn graduate publishes first children's book
Book signing, reception on Dec. 11 to celebrate achievement
DANBURY, CONN. —Rolandas Kiaulevicius came to America to succeed as an artist. He is making good progress.
Kiaulevicius, who earned a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) with a concentration in illustration from Western Connecticut State University in May, published his first children’s book this fall. He got the contract as one of 15 winners in a publishing company’s competition for college students.
A book signing and reception in celebration of that achievement will be at 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 11, in Warner Hall on the WestConn Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury. The event will be free and the public is invited; please R.S.V.P. to (203) 837-8486. Kiaulevicius’ book, “Zoolidays,” will be available for purchase, or can be purchased in advance at www.redcygnet.com.
The competition Kiaulevicius won was run by a new company, Red Cygnet Press, and Kiaulevicius’ book is among the first group of winners.
The 28-year-old Lithuanian, who lives in New Haven with his wife, hopes publication of the story about zoo animals who take up painting will be the first step in a long career of book illustration.
“I have many ideas,” Kiaulevicius said. “Twenty-four hours in the day is not enough for me.”
WestConn Professor of Art Abe Echevarria agreed with that assessment.
“Rolandas is a super talented student,” Echevarria said. “He is very aggressive. He’s constantly on the move. He works very fast and he is just an energy source that won’t quit.”
Echevarria was Kiaulevicius’ mentor in the M.F.A. program. They worked on ideas for projects and to refine the student’s approach.
Kiaulevicius came to Connecticut five years ago to join his then-girlfriend, now his wife, who is a student at Southern Connecticut State University.
He was living with a family that included four children, and when Kiaulevicius drove them around, they often asked him to tell them a story. This helped Kiaulevicius learn English — he now speaks four languages — and also was the beginning of his book project.
Kiaulevicius invented an idea about animals who were entranced by the creations of art students who had spent a day painting beasts at the zoo. When the students left, the animals picked up the brushes and paints that were left behind. But they were out of paper, so they used themselves as canvasses.
Red Cygnet Press made some changes to the original story, but the illustrations of animals covered with fanciful colorings and designs remain as the foundation of the book, which was shipped to bookstores this fall. In the meantime, Kiaulevicius finished a mural of Tuscany commissioned by the owners of a New Haven café.
“Rolandas is making some adjustments,” Echevarria said. “He’s trying to find his way through our lifestyle here and I think that seeped into this book. Some of the storyline relates to somebody trying to make a change. I do think he has the wherewithal to persevere no matter what comes along. I think his talent is going to support that. He is going to be a very well-received individual in this country.”
Kiaulevicius said he hopes to be hired as an art teacher when he graduates from WestConn, with his off hours spent painting and illustrating more books.
To view Kiaulevicius’ portfolio, including illustrations from the book, go to www.rolandasart.com. To order “Zoolidays” directly from the publisher with 50 percent of the proceeds going to the WCSU Alumni Fund, go to www.redcygnet.com and at checkout, enter the code “alum50rcp.”
For more information, call the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.
