Artist-in-Residence to be First Inductee into Louisiana Animation Hall of Fame

SHREVEPORT, LA — The Red Stick International Animation Festival has named Shreveport native and Centenary College Artist-in-Residence William Joyce as the first inductee into the Louisiana Animation Hall of Fame. The Emmy-winning author and illustrator of children's books will be honored Thursday, November 10, during the Fall Retrospective at the Shaw Center for the Arts.

William Joyce

The Fall Retrospective will present a full day of exciting exhibits from EA Sports and LSU's Center for Computation & Technology, and lectures from industry leaders in animation, visual effects, and game design. The day will conclude with a very special Best of the Fest screening of the very best films from past festivals. In celebration of Joyce's induction, the Festival will screen his latest film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.

Hailed by Newsweek as one of the top 100 people to watch in the new millennium, Joyce wrote his first book in the fourth grade and has since produced a slew of classics beloved by both children and adults. Among those books are George Shrinks, Santa Calls, Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo, The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs, and A Day with Wilbur Robinson. Joyce has won three Emmys for his popular children's show "William Joyce's Role Polie Olie," a Disney animated series. His illustrations have appeared on the cover of The New Yorker, and his paintings are displayed at museums and art galleries nationwide.

Since moving to Centenary, Joyce has supported the educational goals of the College by sharing his time and talents with staff and students in the form of lectures, in-house demonstrations, office tours, employment opportunities and internships as his production schedule allows.

Joyce is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, where he studied filmmaking and illustration.

About Centenary College of Louisiana

Centenary College is a private, four-year arts and sciences college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Founded in 1825, it is the oldest chartered liberal arts college west of the Mississippi River and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Centenary is one of 16 colleges and universities constituting the Associated Colleges of the South and has been recognized as "One of the Best 371 Colleges" by the Princeton Review and one of "America's Best Colleges" and one of "America's Best Private Colleges" by Forbes.com. In 2008 Centenary College celebrated 100 years in Shreveport and Bossier City.